For the Crown - Selection (SYOC)
by WildPegasus7
Summary: Prince Alexander's life turns upside down when Sebastian dumps the title Heir on him. He was never prepared for having Illéa's future in his hands. Unfortunately, it's too late. As complications clash with relationships and Rebels are thrown into the mix, Alex has to battle with the most important question... Are they here for love? Or are they here for the crown? SYOC ALWAYS OPEN!
1. For the Crown - Introduction

**Hello! :D This is WildPegasus7(Girl). What's new?**

 **Yeah, I know I've been inactive for a long time, and I truly apologize for that. I even deleted this story(because I knew people wouldn't be happy with the long-term absence), so I understand not all of you will be happy with my return. Still, I hope some _do_ appreciate this story- after all, it's(in a way) my first!**

 **Introducing...**

* * *

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Fact: I don't think I'll ever be ready for this.

Fact: Tomorrow, King Maximus(my father) and Queen Genevieve(my mother) will announce the opening of the Selection.

Correction: They will announce the opening of _my_ Selection.

Which means, I'm no longer a spectator watching from the sidelines as princes and princesses from other countries have their own kind of Selection.

Fact: I'm the Royal who has the Selection now. Other princes and princesses will be the ones who watch from the sidelines.

And I'll probably fail... if that's even possible.

* * *

 **You didn't see that coming, did you? XD** **No spoilers! We're diving straight in.**

 **...**

Submission Forms will be accepted by PM. If you can't do that, review is fine, but keep it in mind that PMs provide a better environment/privacy. Also, _characters submitted by PM will have a higher chance of surviving the Selection_ , as special updates and requirements can be sent. ;)

 **IMPORTANT!**

So, in order to make this more realistic and fun, I've made a few decisions. I'm going to accept up to 20 forms- _only for the ladies_ , mostly by PM. But you can still submit a form anytime- up to only two characters per person, because as I said, this needs to be both fair and realistic- however, **spectators or users with one submitted form can _always_ submit a form for a character** such as a servant, maid, musician, reporter, advisor, general, guard, soldier, and such! For instance, even if your character isn't participating as a Selected in the story, you can submit a simple form with only the name, appearance and job, and I'll feature you in the story!

 **Also,** even if your character gets eliminated, she will still participate/appear in the story at the end or from time to time. So there's no need to think that just because your character got eliminated, her story's over! She's still gonna be a part of the story!

Finally, it is highly recommended to add a bit on other, unexpected relationships('cause I like those). Like, if your character's name is WildPegasus7, you can add in the Other(s): section on the form that she may fall in love with Logan.. preferably with a wink emoji. XD

 **Age limit is** **(16-19)!**

 **I might not accept forms if they go against the given rules and/or lack too much detail!**

Since this is Prince Alexander, I know that everyone will be a girl, but still. Just add the gender. ;P

* * *

 **SUBMISSION FORM**

Full Name(required):

Nickname(optional)*:

Age(required):

Gender(required):

Caste(required):

...

Personality(required):

Appearance(required):

Normal Attire(optional)*:

...

Likes(required):

Dislikes(required):

Skills/Talents(required):

Job(recommended):

...

Family(recommended)*:

Pets(optional):

...

Thoughts about the Royal Family*:

Thoughts about Prince Alexander:

Thoughts about the Caste System:

...

Backstory/Bio(recommended):

Other(s)(preferred)*:

* * *

 _*Nicknames are used as a sign of friendliness or closeness by friends/the prince, and may be useful in the flow of the story._

 _*Your normal attires are the clothes/clothing types that your character wears most of the time, and can be useful in both the flow and detail of the story._

 _*Family is highly recommended because it helps a lot with the story and adds to the plot/drama. It will be great if you add family, even if your character is an orphan. Don't leave it blank- just say so! ;)_

 _..._

 _*THE ROYAL FAMILY_

 _King Maximus Schreave: Bronze hair and stormy blue eyes. 42 years old._

 _Powerful, intimidating demeanor. Used to be a loving father to the children, however due to the increasing rebel attacks recently became very distracted in family business. Intelligent in many ways. A great teacher. Is still a great leader, but can get so involved in politics that he doesn't find time to be a normal father._

 _Queen Genevieve Schreave: Auburn hair that is usually pulled up and soft, hazel eyes. 40 years old._

 _A gentle but powerful leader. Is still a loving mother to the children, is also very intelligent. Pretends to be strict to the other Royals, but in truth is not. Does not approve of the Caste System, as she was once a Four and did not get appreciated by Maximus's parents._

 _..._

 _Prince Sebastian: Dark bronze hair and dark green eyes cornered with a mischievous hint of black. 21 years old._

 _The eldest of the five children. Was originally meant to be the Crown Prince. However, Sebastian was a natural prankster and troublemaker. He realized that his dream wasn't to become King and announced that he was giving the place of the Crown Prince to his brother, Alexander._

 _Prince Alexander: Light brown/bronze hair tipped with light auburn, greenish hazel eyes flecked with gold. 19 years old._

 _Second of the five Royals. Was shocked to find out that he'd become Crown Prince. Has a very straight and proper demeanor in public, but can be a loving brother and fun friend to have. An intelligent, hardworking student and a patient, careful teacher. Does not particularly think the Caste System is just, but doesn't think that much about it._

 _Princess Seraphina: Platinum blond, straight long hair and electric green eyes. 17 years old._

 _Twin of Princess Annaliesa. Looks up to Sebastian. Is very sassy and fiery, loves jokes, and hates formal events or anything related to the sort. Uses her beautiful features on making funny faces. Learned pranking and troublemaking from her brother at an early age and has proven herself a master at both. Is very interested in life outside the palace._

 _Princess Annaliesa: Long, amber hair with wisps of light gold and soft, ocean blue eyes flecked with hazel. 17 years old._

 _Twin of Princess Seraphina. Despite their different hair and eye colors, Anna looks exactly like Sera, minus the blond hair and green eyes. While they are both known to be beautiful like their mother, people comment more on Anna's beauty as her calm, proper ways have a better effect than Sera's wild, mischievous personality. Is good at hiding her thoughts._

 _Prince Logan: Dirty blond hair with emerald green eyes shaded with blue. 16 years old._

 _The youngest of the five. Believes that being kind, reasonable and just is the greatest way to being a great king. Is very mature at a young age, and knows when and where to hide his personal thoughts. Is very happy for Alexander and thinks that Sebastian made the right choice. Absolutely dislikes the Caste System._

 _..._

 ** _As for the Other(s):_** _Look at the **IMPORTANT** part before the form. There'll be an explanation. But if you're too lazy to go back(like me): YOU CAN WRITE EXTRA RELATIONSHIPS! HAHAHA! *evil laugh*_

...

 **That's it for now! Look at the index for further instructions. While I can't promise you that your character will make it, I can definitely guarantee you that this will be a fun experience for all of us!**

 **Sincerely, WildPegasus7(Girl)**


	2. Ninety-Nine Empty Words

**How's it going, everyone? The chapter's starting soon and I can't wait! Thanks HighLadyOfTheNightCourt877, Fairytoto1, and HTMLfreak for sending me your Forms.  
**

 **Without further ado!**

* * *

PRINCE ALEXANDER  


...Seriously?

I want to scream. I want to yell at the world for being so unfair.

Why is this happening to me? I mean, this is the most unjust and dishonorable event that has happened in my life!

Just a month ago Sebastian was the one who was destined to have his Selection. Just a month ago, Logan was uncertain whether or not Sebastian would mess up at the Reports. I had agreed with him at the time. Now, the only person I am feeling uncertain of is me.

And I hate that feeling.

Of course, this isn't what I tell my parents. I bow graciously and say,

"I'll do it."

Three empty words. I just emitted three fake, empty words.

As if I care- I've been giving away false talk since my first Report, when I was five. Everyone instructed me to, anyway. Tell them you're happy to be here, that you're looking forward to that show, that you cannot get more excited at the thought of appearing on the cover of _Royal Quarterly._ Well, I wasn't. All I wanted was to jump up, dash to my room, bury myself in that comfortable bed and never, ever come back.

I kind of feel that way right now.

But I don't do that. Instead I make a long, formal speech about my gratitude.

"Thank you so much, Mother and Father, for presenting me with this wondrous opportunity. I promise not to let you down. Let us simply hope that the Selection will lead me on the way of my life as Crown Prince and, in the far future, a King- and that I may find my one true love in the careful event that you so flawlessly planned."

I really have to thank my tutors for teaching me how to keep a straight face while telling lies, I think as I walk up the marble stairs. I really need to thank them, now. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get through this hopeless situation.

On the way up to my room, I run into Logan, who's coming with a worried expression in his face. "Are you alright?" He asks, taking me by the shoulders and staring into my eyes. I can feel the now familiar wave of anxiety crash through my nerves. "Yeah, I guess," I mutter, trying to break free of his tight grasp. But he won't let go.

"I know you're feeling terrible, brother. And I think I can relate-"

"You can't," I inform him.

"Well, I think I can," Logan says. "I haven't forgotten that you're three years older than I am. But I also haven't forgotten that you're someone who can survive anything, even if it's a Selection with thirty-five girls coming to win your love."

"So you've heard about the disaster, I suppose?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad," I lie again. "You can witness me getting embarrassed in front of girls who are complete strangers to me. Logan, I feel so privileged to be attending such a fateful Selection. But I don't think this is the right way to find love."

Logan senses the falseness in my voice. "I agree- although I know you don't feel privileged."

I scowl even deeper than I used to. "Just get out of my way, brother. I know exactly what I'm dealing with. I don't need anyone to give me useless advice."

He's hurt. He tries to hide it, but I know him too well. For a moment, I feel sorry for being such a jerk.

But I'm also good at hiding my feelings, too. So I don't let Logan know. I shake his hands off and turn towards my door. "See you later, Logan."

.:*:.

ARIANNA IVANOVICH

I finish the dance with a skill that I've been working on lately. It's self-taught and made, a fouette turn that turns into a barrel turn and finishes off with a switch firebird leap.

It goes better than usual, which is good news. Even I, with skills that have been trained at an early age, had trouble with this particular pose.

I'm silently congratulating myself on the success when I notice the Report playing on the mirror/screen, right where my choreography was being displayed a moment ago. This must be really important, for them to cut through private use and go straight on to the show. I sit down in front of the screen, turning my attention to the Report.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen of Illéa," Marcin C. Shelstad, the host, introduces. "Today on the Report, the Royal Family has a very important announcement to make- but I'll leave that for the King," Marcin grins playfully. "Before the big deal blows your mind, we have a couple other incidents to inform you about."

The host passes the microphone to Royal Reporter Carthon Regala.

"Thank you, Marc," Reporter Regala clears his throat and looks straight at the camera. "During the past two weeks, rebels have attacked Forestheave and Palrune, leaving the two villages in complete destruction."

The live audience gasp.

"Unfortunately, only a few of the rebels have been caught. The rest have either fled into their hidden groups or continued to travel along the coast. While severe safety measures have been taken, and there is almost no danger of a province getting attacked anytime soon, the Royal Report and Safety Enforcement advise that you make sure to lock all the doors and windows of your house shut whenever possible. It is also essential that you send in your rebel surveys, which will be passed out, hopefully shortly after this report."

Immediately, I whirl around to see the screen on the door showing the receiver link. Mail.

"There is also the rebel formation growing in Gutizon, and I strongly advise Gutizon's citizens to report any suspicious activities," Regala looks at the screen with his green eyes topped with dark, bushy eyebrows that always seem to make everyone feel guilty.

"Otherwise, the country has been relatively safe. That was the Rebel Report. Thank you." Polite applause, and the mic is handed back to Marcin Shelstad.

"Without further ado... King Maximus of Illéa!"

.:*:.

PIPER LOCKWOOD

"Hm." I look up from my brand-new 2.0 Holographic Phone, pausing my contemplation of my new cream-colored top on social media. It has already reached 2.7k likes, even though it's only been a couple of minutes since I posted it. Not bad, considering the fact that I'm a social media star with over three million followers.

The thing that makes me lift my head, though, is much more important. I can sense it. Something's happening other than the "normal" rebel attacks. Something's happening other than the normal everyday news.

Something... big.

And special.

"Without further ado... King Maximus of Illéa!" Marcin Shelstad flashes his million-dollar smile and the camera turns to where King Maximus is standing up, with a somewhat strained smile on his face.

Years of business let me know. _He's worried something's gonna go wrong._

"Hello, citizens of Illéa," the king starts off short and simple. "As our host, Marc, kindly informed you, I have a very important announcement to make." The words _very important_ are not overheard by me. In business, everyone knows that anything labeled "very important" will have a big effect.

"This is an event that will definitely change the future of Illéa." Okay, he got me hooked. Nice.

"My son, Prince Alexander Schreave-" the second-born prince stands up with a shaky smile- "will be having a Selection of his own."

The response is unbelievable. The live audience go wild, and I'm pretty sure that the scream I just heard came from the house next to ours. Arlena Coshirdi lives there, and apparently she thinks she's the One.

That is probable, but not very.

Because I decide that I want to enter.

It's an opportunity to prove that my stay in Illéa isn't solely for the purpose of helping my parents run their immensely popular chain boutique, Brilliant Beauty. And Prince Alexander seems like a good guy, too.

Also, if my logic is correct, the possibilities of the guards and advisors picking me as the representative of my province is much higher than that of the other potential girls in the same province. I'm from England- I've been raised there most of my life- and if I become the One, Illéa will have a much greater possibility of maintaining a good relationship with England.

Yes.

I'm entering, that's for sure.

.:*:.

GRAYSON DANIELLA CHANDLER

I didn't see that coming.

I stare at the screen in the large, luxurious living room. On the inside, I'm thrilled beyond words. On the outside, though, I'm careful to keep my poker face standing- because, of course, my dad is here. CEO Keith Chandler will probably start forcing me to do all these stupid things, thinking about his own glory.

 _Thank god he's drunk right now,_ I think. _He probably didn't get a word of what the Report was about._ I carefully pick my way around the snoring heap on the spotless floor and tiptoe out the door, hardly making any sound. Once out, I sprint next door to where I'm certain Marianna Wilson's watching the Report on her screen, too. Sure enough, as soon as I reach the front door I can hear excited squeals coming from inside.

We've been together for so long that I simply open the unlocked front door and walk inside. Mari's lying on the floor, her head resting on her elbow. Her parents and little brother are sitting on the couch. I clear my throat and she turns around.

"Gracie!" Marie comes over and grabs my hand. "You heard it too, right?"

I nod. "I'm thinking of entering."

"That's amazing!" Mari smiles at me genuinely. "I'd love to be your makeup artist when you enter the Selection. I know all your favorite colors and styles."

"You're not entering?" I ask, surprised that Mari, who's really supportive of her family, isn't thinking of the opportunity.

"Well... yeah," Mari grins sheepishly. "I think I have many more important things to tend to. And anyway, I'm a Six- there's hardly any way I can survive the Selection. Since you're a Two, you have endless possibilities. But me? No."

"You're giving up just because you're a Six?"

"Not just that, but... I don't think I had a liking for Prince Alexander, anyway. He's really nice and proper, but I don't feel for him the way some people seem to. I don't even know him, do I?" Mari laughs, and all of a sudden I understand.

"It's okay. You're not letting down your family. Queen Genevieve once said that you need to follow your heart, remember? You were so touched by that saying."

"Yeah..." Mari's face noticeably brightens and she leads me to her living room, where her oh-so-kind parents are smiling at the screen. Prince Alexander's making some sort of finishing speech, and the live audience are going crazy.

I've always felt jealous of Mari and her family. Mine couldn't be any worse- neither of my parents had any thought of marrying each other. The only reason why they did was because my father charmed my mother into sleeping with him at an early age. When Delta Chandler had me nine months later, my grandfather forced her to marry him because having affairs while being unmarried is against the law.

Things went terribly wrong after that. It was like my dad was a curse. Parker, my poor little sister, died at age six of lung cancer- no wonder, since her father's smoking exposed her to smoke all those short years of her life. I should've protected her- but even I had been too scared to stand up to my father.

I blame myself for my sister's death now.

And then, after I grew successful with music, my dad started controlling me. He didn't let me do anything I wanted and sent me along on concerts and auditions, not concerned at all for his daughter's welfare. Then my mother left home to live with her friends, and my beloved grandfather died, and all I was left with was my crazy father.

Mari doesn't realize how lucky she is...

"Gray?" Mari pulls me out of my thoughts. "You alright?"

"Yeah," I assure her. "Just- I was wondering if I could get in."

"Of course you will!" Mari's mother smiles at me warmly. "We'll be rooting for you."

"Of course!" Mari's little brother repeats. "We'll be rooting!"

I laugh, and Mari grins at me as she leads me towards the open door. "Let's go get your picture taken!"

 _Selection, here I come!_

 _.:*:._

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Ninety-nine empty words. Ninety-nine fake, empty words.

Today I emitted exactly ninety-nine false, empty words- yes, I've been counting- to my parents, to my brothers, and to the Report.

Basically, I lied to the whole country.

I shake my head as I walk up to my room. It's been a tiring day, and I want to get some rest before tomorrow, when there will be more news and papers to sign before the Selection officially gets in course.

The day after tomorrow, the Selection will begin.

* * *

 **Hello, ladies and gentlemen!(Haha, copying Shelstad..)**

 **Fun Fact: Marcin Shelstad's name used to be Marcinus(which "originated" from Marcus) but I realized far too late that the name was too similar to King Maximus's, and had to change every sentence with "Marcinus" with it, lol.**

 **Anyway, thanks everyone for reviewing, following and favoriting! I can't express how glad I am to see that people are actually enjoying my story. Also, now there are 15 spots left, as six people have submitted their characters. There are still many spots left, so everyone please submit their forms and remember that maid/servant, advisor/general, soldier/guard positions are allowed _anytime!_**


	3. Signing Ceremony

**What's up, everybody? I'm really excited about this, so I'm updating a lot lately. X3**

 **Anyway, I want to give special thanks to Silver Tulip, MoonChild913, PhoenixBird8, Red Shoes 1518,** **Sylea, Corn Snow and White Flakes, and** ** **mnbvcxz-xx** for each submitting a character. Which means, 10 spots are left. Send in those forms, readers! I'd love to see the diversity of imagination around here!**

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **I forgot to mention this at the start of the book, but _this story is set in the future!_**

 **It's about two and a half centuries after the original series, and even the original series are set in the far future. That's why the characters have screens instead of TVs- they're basically huge, flat television screens that take up a whole wall. Most of the time, they act as mirrors. When you turn it on, though, it's a television.**

 **Most families have this- except for some Sixes, most Sevens and almost all Eights.**

 **Things are getting far behind... Let's begin!**

* * *

ELISE IDRIL ROHAN

"Look a bit this way!" The photographer calls, gesturing with both his hands. Right away, I notice that he is right handed, by the way he puts focus on his right arm, and that his left one is a bit too out of proportion. I don't say anything, though. Sometimes it's necessary to keep quiet.

"Good! Now tilt your head a little..." I let myself obey the disproportionate man's orders, all the while observing his somewhat familiar features and slightly unbalanced physique. He has a mole on his right arm, one that's turned into something other than a mole. Kind of like a bruise, with blue and black spots.

That just may be dangerous. Moles are not unhealthy, but they can turn into unhealthy things.

Again, I don't say anything.

"Okay, okay, keep that right there..." I try my best not to turn my head. It's hard, because I'm straining to take a better look at the mole.

 _Click!_

"Well done!" The man reaches out to grab a lollipop from the counter, the way doctors and teachers sometimes do to make wailing kids' feelings better.

Apparently, Yulian Zavery(Yes, I looked at his profile beforehand) doesn't know much about eighteen-year-olds.

I still take the candy. Because it might come in handy sometime.

After coming out, I take a good look at the picture. Surprisingly, it looks like me. I've known photos to unaccurately portrait people, probably because people apply loads of makeup before letting someone take their pictures. My mother insisted on giving me a hint of blush before I came out of the house, but I look pretty much the same- a delicately hooked nose, dark brown eyes sharply contrasting with pale skin and pixie-cut hair, a smatter of freckles, and a slender, muscular build.

"Ellie?" My dad calls hesitantly, looking over his shoulder. Seeing me, he smiles. "How did it go?"

"Strangely," I reply, "I found that the most interesting thing about the photographer was that he had a disproportionate build and a dangerous-looking mole."

Mom laughs. "Nobody would expect otherwise. We've known you to be observing."

"Well... Yeah, I guess." Talking about myself makes me uncomfortable, so I change the subject. "Did the boxing match go like expected?"

"Pretty much," My father gestures towards the screen, which is showing off the results for this tournament's boxing match. As I thought, the second boxer won. Not a big twist, but I could sense from the start that the professional posture and skills of the boxer wouldn't lose under the relatively unprepared component.

Since I'm a professional boxer, I know...

Let's just hope I know enough about the Selection to survive.

.:*:.

LOUISA MARISOL ROBERTS

I run towards the office, clutching the sealed envelope with one hand. It's holding my form and my picture, and I want to get it there before anyone else does. I don't want anyone noticing me. That would be terrifying- it would be all over the news and the Royal Family will probably start to think of me as strange.

I mean, I've known them all those sixteen years of my life! They're more like my family than anyone else. They'd think that I'm a lovestruck baboon entering for money and power or something.

I dash inside the glass doors. This place is restricted only for people living in the palace. They made a small place in the corner where you drop in the submission forms. Normally, this is supposed to be where the staff of this place puts those envelopes after they're collected from their respective provinces. But I use this place because I'm not in the mood to face cameras and do interviews today.

This isn't cheating, since my form will also be in the test with the others, but I still feel terrible because I know that I'm not acting of my own accords. My mother- good ol' mother with her love for power- forced me to do this, everyone!

Quicker than quick, I drop in my envelope in and start to run.

"Hey-" a guard standing by notices me and stands up. "What are you doing here, miss?"

Uh-oh. I slow my pace.

"Miss?"

"I- I just happened to come by," I say, trying to act casual.

"Mhm." The guard looks suspicious.

I'd be scared, but I'm resilient and stubborn and he finally lets me go. I sigh in relief as I walk down the marble hallways, weaving my sandy blond hair into a french braid as usual.

Why did I let my mother do this? I knew it was intended solely for her own power. I should've refused!

The Shcreaves had taken me in even when my mother refused to. They'd understood my love for loose, easygoing clothes and had given me a whole armful of newly developed pants that were extremely convenient.

They'd been with me my whole life. I'd felt much closer to Seb until now, but Alex and Logan were both very good friends to me.

Like family.

Why would someone in their right mind try to marry family? It's not even like I have a crush on Alex.

Or should I say, Crown Prince Alexander?

Everything's changing these days, and I just can't seem to keep up.

.:*:.

CORDELIA HARPER KORTE

"What are you entering for?" I ask the girl in front of me, trying to make a polite approach. Her skin is really pale, though- almost like she never goes outside.

The girl turns around, and I'm shocked by her look. It's just how she looks at you like she knows all your secrets.

Her voice is kind and soft. "I'm looking for a break from art. And maybe find love." Then she blushes. "My parents also said that they'd like to see me marry, but they that it's up to me to decide."

I smile. "I'm here for love, too. I'm not sure if I feel something for Prince Alexander, though. I'm afraid I might fall for someone else, like other people. You know how that's considered treason, right?"

"Yeah."

I sigh. "If only King Trusanders hadn't made that law all over again. King Maxon and Queen America's reign had loosened that whole "treason" thing, and that man just had to become king two hundred years later and put that law into use."

The girl nods. "My name is Lianya."

"I'm Cordelia Korte, and I'm a lawyer and president of a Nonprofit Organization for the Poor. Nice to meet you, Lianya." I instinctively reach out for a handshake, then immediately put my hand back. Lianya laughs.

I grin. "I guess I'm too used to doing this kind of thing. Sorry."

She's opening her mouth to reply, but then a receptionist calls her name and she walks up with her envelope. I let out a breath - I hadn't realized how worried I'd been - and go up to the next person, who's just finishing the reception for this brunette girl.

"Hello," the man says, poising his pen above a lined piece of paper. "What's your name?"

"Cordelia Harper Korte, sir."

"Cordelia, do you have your form with you?"

"Yes."

"Good." He takes the envelope from me and opens it. After double checking all the information inside, he takes out a stamp, stamps _CHECKED_ on the bottom left corner, closes the envelope, and seals it shut with the royal crest. "So you're nineteen and a Three."

"Yes," I say.

"You won't need good luck, then." The man says.

"What?"

"Next!"

I'm shooed away from the line.

.:*:.

VICTORIA AKKIN

I will fight for what I think is right.

I am not afraid to defend my opinion.

I believe that I, as a firefighter, have the right to ignore the Report to save lives.

But I guess even firefighters can't win over two extremely stubborn best friends.

Olivia and Serena are each tightly holding onto one of my arms. The royal crest appears on the screen, and music starts to play.

I feel Rena's fingernails piercing my skin.

"Rena, that _hurts."_

"Shh! It's starting!" Liv hushes me. I roll my eyes and turn towards the screen. I'm probably not going to get in, anyway- I saw the super long line of girls at the reception center today. And I don't know why they're so excited.

I mean, the girls aren't even being picked today! They're being picked tomorrow, and that's a big difference. It's just a simple announcement and paper signing that's going to be broadcast, and that's not going to change anything, is it?

Apparently, my friends don't think so. I'm kinda torn between yelling and laughing as they squeal.

The first person who appears on the screen isn't Marcin Shelstad. Prince Alexander is wearing a calm, composed smile as he looks at the camera and bows.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. We all know that Illéa is one of the most highly developed countries around the world. I am very proud of our country, and I am equally proud to be participating in such an honorable event." Prince Alexander starts.

Rena grins. "He's so cute!"

Liv glares at her. "Sebastian is way cuter!"

"I have to disagree," I tell her, "because that prince is totally bonkers."

 _"What?!"_ They practically yell. I giggle.

"I don't really appreciate how Prince Sebastian has a prankster side. It's not at all suitable for someone who's going to get involved in politics sooner or later, even if he doesn't become king." I inform them. "He used to be my childhood crush, but..."

"But?" Rena questions.

"But now I feel like we could maybe become friends, but no more. He's definitely not who I want. I think Princes Alexander and Logan are both respectful people. I kinda wish Logan were older, you know? He's three years younger than me. I could have a dilemma between him and Alexander if I get to know them both better or something."

"Ooh," Liv grins, "Someone has a cruuush!"

"It's not a crush." I defend myself. "It's a fact." Then I burst out with laughter. "Let's stop talking about crushes and look at the screen for once."

.:*:.

SHILLA ELLINGTON

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. We all know that Illéa is one of the most highly developed countries around the world. I am very proud of our country, and I am equally proud to be participating in such an honorable event."

Somehow, Prince Alexander's smile looks bitter.

"At this very moment, guards and advisors are looking through ladies' forms to pick two girls from each province as a potential Selected. Tomorrow, I will pick one of two forms from each province, which will be placed in a glass box, as the official Selected. That will be completely random, but the forms picked today will be pondered over carefully by professionals."

The live audience clap. My father leans back on his seat by our screen. Tania and Oliver, my two little siblings, lean towards the screen excitedly.

My straight, dark hair covers my eyes and I tie it up into a ponytail.

"I owe you my thanks for taking part in this wonderful Selection and I promise not to let you down. We have had quite a bit of unfortunate rebel attacks recently, and I send my best wishes to the citizens of Forestheave and Palrune."

I decide that I like Prince Alexander. He's a really kind person, and he cares about the rebel attacks. The royal family has way too much privileges and they need to use their power and influence to make a difference, especially in protecting their people and dealing with the rebels.

If Prince Alexander's the one who's going to be King, I'm glad I signed up for the Selection.

"Thank you, and now we will have the signing ceremony. There will be further announcements to make." The camera follows as Prince Alexander walks over to a table and sits down. King Maximus and Queen Genevieve are already seated, along with someone who must be the King of England. So they are bringing witnesses.

The king stands up. He's holding a tablet in his right hand and a piece of paper on the other. I realize that he's going to read it aloud.

"The term of this Agreement will be lasting until the completion of the Selection. Prince Alexander Schreave of Illéa hereby agrees to activate his Selection. The Selection will go on as follows: Thirty-five females will enter the Selection as a potential Crown Princess and, in the future, a Queen. Prince Alexander will eliminate the potentials during the first, second, and third elimination. The fourth elimination will decide the Elite, a group of six potentials who will proceed to attend balls and ceremonies of the similar sort."

Here the King pauses to take a breath before starting again.

"At the end of the Selection, Prince Alexander Schreave of Illéa will choose one of the potentials to marry him and hold the title of Crown Princess, later on to become the Queen." King Maximus reads the rest of the sheet, then sits down and hands his son the paper.

Prince Alexander doesn't look at the agreement. He simply pulls out a pen and signs it, then pushes the paper towards his mother with a polite nod. Queen Genevieve signs it, then the King of England, and finally, King Maximus signs it and the ceremony is over.

It feels as though everyone is making a big deal out of little business. It's simply a ceremony where everyone repeats everything and promises on everything. Simple and little...

 _But the Selection can't be simple and little, can it?_

.:*:.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

I signed it.

I signed it.

I signed it.

I signed it.

 _I signed the paper._

It's a fact. Everyone knows that facts can't be replaced with lies.

I used to appreciate the simple accuracy of facts.

Now I'm not so sure.


	4. Drawing the Envelopes - Part One

**I'm back! leyton4everrr, Shlim4506, Kirsty2925 submitted characters, and MissKaydence reserved a spot for one. So** **6** **spots are left! Not much, but don't forget that other minor characters are also allowed, and that's** ** _anytime!_**

 ** **On with the story!****

* * *

PRINCE ALEXANDER  


Did I mention that today is the day?

.:*:.

JULIANNE CHLOE PENDLETON

Today is the day.

Today is the day when my future is chosen.

Why? Because I've entered the Selection. Prince Alexander's Selection, to be exact.

I'm not sure if I made the right choice to let my brother- Robert- do this. I've never felt a big connection to any of the Royals before, and after that rebel attack back home? I'm not letting any of them get away with this.

I blame the Crown Prince for that rebel attack in Palrune. He doesn't care about the rebels, even though he's the next king. He doesn't care about people like me, people who lose their parents because of the Royals' indifference.

I can never forgive him.

But...

For Rob, I can do anything- even if I have to stay at the palace with a prince who I hate. For Rob, I can try my best to win the prince's heart and become the bride.

For Rob, I can lead myself in the opposite direction of where my heart is calling for.

I slide my glasses into place, noticing how they get tangled in my dark brown hair. Peering at the sheet in front of me, I pick up my cello and start playing Saint-Saëns's _Allegro Appassionato._ It doesn't work like it used to, though. My mind is too caught up in the upcoming picking. Trying not to scream in frustration, I lightly put down my cello and sigh.

 _Calm down, Julie. This isn't the end of the world. This is the Selection._

 _You can do it..._

The thing is, I'm not so sure if I can.

.:*:.

ELIZABETH ANNE WILSON

The prince is going to pick the Selected today.

I'm really excited- I want to do something extraordinary in my life for once, other than decorating cupcakes, cakes and others of the sort. It's a nice job, but I'd like to do something new.

Sure, I don't think I'll be Selected. So what? It's going to be an experience of a lifetime, and I'm ready for anything. I'm not scared to not see my picture on the screen.

I entered, and that just made my life more special, so I have no regrets.

I finish setting the frosting on the last cupcake, sprinkling it with special decorative dried-up vegetables. Mom and Dad just started a Healthy Bakery event, where they invent healthy but delicious food that everyone could like. It's a good start against the unhealthy food that some bakers produce, like that bakery in Quinnt that got shut down because they used too much sugar and caused many of their customers to get sick.

I'm really proud of my new creation. Our bakery values health and creativity above anything else, and I just made up a new way to turn bitter veggies into a sweet treat that the pickiest babies would eat.

Some bitter compounds in vegetables are lipophilic- they dissolve readily in fat. A little butter or cream sauce really helps with the bitter taste of veggies. Salt also blocks bitterness and acts as a filter to let more desirable flavors come through, so I've used a bit of salt for the vegetables.

After baking, I taste the cupcake and am immediately surprised with one of the best flavors I've encountered in my life. It's sweet and slightly tangy, with a crispy outside and a warm, soft inside that slowly melts on your tongue.

 _Wow!_ I think, eating the rest of the cupcake. _This is one good-_

Suddenly, the public screen on the building next to ours blinks once and the royal crest appears on it with the national anthem blaring. I whip my head around to get a better look.

.:*:.

MARIANNE CABOT

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of Illéa! As you will have been told, our country is awaiting a very memorable moment- Crown Prince Alexander is having his very own Selection. Today is the day where all the forms, checked and re-checked by our guards and advisors, will be picked out of their groups of twos to choose their province representative and Selected."

I stare at the screen, wide-eyed. It was today? I'm totally unprepared!

Tucking my wavy acorn-colored hair behind my ears, I try to get a better view of the screen. Marcin Shelstad is, as always, flashing his perfect smile at the camera.

"I present to you... Prince Alexander Schreave of Illéa!" The live audience give wild, enthusiastic applause as Prince Alexander takes the stage.

"Hello, everyone. Like our amazing host- Marcin Shelstad- just informed you, today I will be drawing the envelopes and picking the Selected out of their respective groups. Before we start, though, I believe my father has an announcement to make." The prince looks at the Royals, who are sitting on expensive-looking seats. I notice Prince Sebastian winking at his little brother- Logan- who's trying to make him stop without drawing attention.

"Thank you." King Maximus stands up, holding a white mic in one hand and a piece of paper in another. "Unfortunately, we don't have Reporter Regala with us today, so I will replace him in spreading knowledge of the current issues."

"The king looks unnaturally grim." Aurélie giggles. I want to laugh too, but I'm certain that the frown would mean bad news.

"No new rebel attacks have occurred, as our Safety Enforcement has predicted. However, there has been a fire that started in Hiedel Mountain in Shandeli that is being suspected to have deliberately set by rebels."

I gasp. The rebel attacks are becoming more frequent by the minute!

"Other than that, the rebels seem inactive, as are other natural or political issues." King Maximus sits back down, and Shelstad grins into his mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Now the time has come for the Selecting!"

.:*:.

REENA GARLAND

I start to panic.

The Selection is almost officially started!

Prince Alexander's gonna pick the girls!

For the first time!

I really need to snap myself out of this, I think furiously. I really need to.

I mean, the Selection is like right here in front of my nose!

Ugh!

"Hullo." The audience laugh as two men grin sheepishly while lifting the glass boxes onto the stage. I chuckle, trying my best to stop freaking out at the sight of the Royals in all their full glory. I'm a Six, so I rarely come in contact with any new technology, but I can easily see that the boxes have been made with the newly developed "silver glass", which is basically silvery glass that's been highly praised for the past month or so for its beauty.

Or something. I'm not sure, since my brain is literally going bananas at the moment.

"All set." One of the two informs the prince. Smiling politely, Prince Alexander steps onto the raised platform and picks up a roll of paper that's been placed on the table with the glass boxes.

"For the one hundred and thirty-seventh Illéan Selection, we have looked through the forms of all the ladies and picked the two most reasonable choices from the lists of each province. And the picked ladies are..."

Okay, I'm panicking.

 _I'm panicking._

AHHH!

.:*:.

KELLY TITAIA CORBATT

I stare at the screen, indifferent as Prince Alexander calls the names off the list.

"Starting with the Capital... From Anveires, Maris Roberts and Kristina Cheryl Zacharia." Two pictures of girls are shown on the huge screen(as always with the Royals, high definition) behind Prince Alexander.

Hmm. Anveries meant that Maris or Kristina could know or even have a close relationship with any of the Royals. Wouldn't that be unfair?

"From Cellues, Maia Avverson and Elise Idril Rohan." Some of the audience must be from Cellues, because they cheer. I remember that the Royals allowed normal citizens to take place as the audience. It's something I really admire about them.

"From Cress, Victoria Akkin and Ainsley Sharonne."

From Dehargo, Cassandra Vinci and..." This is getting boring.

A couple other girls from the next few provinces are called. I kinda zone out until I hear-

"From Fas Derikko, Yulina Wellora and Kelly Titaia Corbat."

Kelly Titaia Corbat. Kelly Titaia Corbat. I'm one of the pre-Selected. Somehow I managed to get past the odds.

"From Forestheave, Marianne Cabot and Janice Tina Westbay."

"From Gutizon, Nia Lahakis and Vanessa Lee."

"From Harrispark, Celine Artier and Amity Johnson."

Again, a few more provinces pass while I observe the unnatural behavior of Prince Alexander.

"From Lotus, Ryhana Meidl and Arianna Ivanovich."

I close my eyes for a while.

"From Montvex, Jollie Kathan and Shilla Ellington."

Okay, okay, okay. Whatever. I trudge up to my room, bored.

.:*:.

CASSANDRA VINCI

I got picked. I got picked. I got picked!

A lot of people will feel surprised when they see me like this- I hardly ever show any kind of emotion. Today's different, though. I feel like jumping up and squealing.

Wow. I never thought I'd want to squeal. I've always been cold and indifferent, refusing to show any kind of emotion to anyone. I mean _anyone_ by anyone. I never show any kind of emotion to my closest friends and family.

Why should I? Nothing will get better if I do.

But I silently shout, YES! and pump my fist.

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESESYES!

Wow! I'm in! I'm actually in! I can finally get some attention from my oh-so-cold family!

I start to feel my heart warming just by the thought of my mother hugging me for the first time. Not till I'm finally settled down do I realize that the prince is still calling the names.

A lot of pretty and kind-looking girls are appearing on the screen. Most people would fear the competition.

I don't care, really.

I'M IN! I'M IN! I'M IN! I MEAN, AT LEAST PARTLY!

.:*:.

VERONICA IRENE SONNENFELD

Why's everyone making such a big deal out of this? It's just me being part of two people.

My maids are running around, trying to get me a better dress. My servants are putting too much sugar in my coffee. My parents are looking around with an expression that indicates pride.

Huh. To be honest, I don't really care- All I need is the crown and maybe the stupid prince's heart and I'm ready to live the rest of my life. If I fail, my parents will definitely be disappointed. But I'm one hundred percent sure that I won't fail.

Why would I, Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld, the daughter of the wealthiest Twos in the country and a world-famous model _ever_ fail at getting a man's heart? I've been doing this my whole life and honestly, I've never been in a situation where the man says no to me. In fact, I've always been the girl who makes the man say no to his former girlfriends and lovers.

Everyone knows that I'm the best at love and relationships. I've never actually loved a man or anything, but they certainly loved me.

After all, I'm Veronica Sonnenfeld. The model. The part-time actress and singer. The rich, the wealthy, the highest of the highest.

Nobody can get past me without consequence.

"From Palrune, Christy Sarafian and Julianne Chloe Pendleton."

"From Quinnt, Maydri Floresca and Elizabeth Anne Wilson."

"From Rineston, Piper Lockwood and Charity Mara Sundt."

I roll my eyes. Who cares about the other girls? The only important thing is that I got in. That Prince Alexander has to pick properly, or he's gonna regret it.

A couple more provinces go by- Rolezze, Shandeli, and others- and I sigh. When is that prince ever picking the actual girls?

"From Rolezze, Fenella Rusci and Grayson Danielle Chandler."

"From Shandeli, Reena Garland and Emilea Leyens."

I let my maids polish my nails while more provinces go by- like Tanmer, which is that province where my favorite beach is located.

"From Utagg, Kaitlyn Staebell and Cordelia Harper Korte."

More provinces. Valkyrie- the province teeming with competitive models that are so ugly and Winmynes- that disgusting city that has almost no nail salons are both featuring a lot of rich girls. They could be a little threat, but no more.

I start to examine my newly manicured nails.

.:*:.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

I let out a shaky breath. Now for the real selecting.

Let's just hope I pick the right girls.

.:*:.


	5. Drawing the Envelopes - Part Two

**I'm here! Yeah, I do know that the previous chapter was terrible, but I was so tired and stressed out from many things and tbh, it was hard keeping up with all the requests. So sorry to the people who felt like their character wasn't being portrayed well! Maybe I'll change that later on too, but at the moment I'm at a bad state. Feeling really sleepy and all.**

 **ONE SPOT IS LEFT! ONE! THOUGH IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT A CHARACTER EVEN AFTER THE SYOC IS CLOSED YOU CAN, FOR ANOTHER CHARACTER!  
**

 **I'll also have to tell you that I won't be having a reply section in this chapter. This is a Part Two, which means that I'd like to get on with the chapter as soon as possible. I have a reply for confusion issues, though- so for the question that Kristy2925 asked, yes there's a Pre-Selected. Basically, the system changed a lot since M &A's Selection, so they pick two girls from each province out of safety and acceptability and the prince randomly draws one envelope from each province.**

 **I hope that helped with the confusion.**

 **Also, unlike the other Royals, Seb curses a bit. Not a lot, since his life is practically filled with cameras invading his privacy, but he still likes to use words that will most likely make his parents (and his siblings) mad.**

* * *

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Here goes nothing, I think as I plunge my hand in the first box.

Anveires is coming first, because they all want to know if the prince knows any of the Selected. It's all going in alphabetical order after that, with Zeltarinh coming last due to its alphabetical position. Everyone is pretty happy with the decision - Zeltarinh's one of the provinces who had rebel attacks last year, and, as always, people like drama.

Trying hard not to roll my eyes - I can almost never help doing so when faced with the Selection - I take hold of a random envelope and fish it out.

Marcin Shelstad, who's watching beside me, calls out the name as soon as I open the envelope.

"From Anveires, Louisa Marisol Roberts!"

Wait, I know that name...

I see the rest of her information on the specially provided screen behind the cameras- I'm not supposed to turn around and stare at the screen behind me during the Report.

Yep, it's her. Sixteen and a Two- with sandy blonde, wavy hair and clear skin that shows a slight hint of being sunburned. I easily recognize the ever so slight wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes because she's always smiling and laughing.

Louisa Robert's the daughter of Theodore Roberts, one of my dad's closest advisors. We played together as a child and even shared a tutor for several years, but Louisa was always a lot closer to Sebastian. They went together pretty well, both being on the same side on nearly everything (except for things like who should eat more dessert), and Seb was surprisingly kind to Louisa. Along with the rest of the family, of course. Everyone except for me calls her Maris. I dunno why I don't. Seriously, I can't remember why I never called her by that name. Was I not close to her when we were children?

Thinking about her makes me think of the past, when I played freely and didn't worry about a Selection. So I turn my head to the next glass box.

Marc leans to look over at the envelope. I open it and hold it so that he and the cameras beside me can see.

"From Bourvardia, Jacintha Fayre!"

A pretty girl with brown hair and green eyes appears on the screen. Caste Four, aged eighteen. She's looking at the camera with a glint in her eye, as though she knows something I don't.

Hmm. Interesting.

"From Cellues, Elise Idril Rohan!"

I imagine the info flashing on the screens of every house in Illéa as I look at the private screen.

From what I can see in the short amount of time, she is eighteen and a Two - the same caste as Louisa. And she is absolutely breathtaking in such an indescribable way. She has a delicately hooked nose and beauty marks that are scattered across her face. Her skin is pale, with freckles on her forehead, chin, ears, and nose. Her pixie cut bleach blonde hair is practically white with sharply contrasting dark brown eyes and nicely shaped lips. She has a muscular build, and I look at other info to see that she's a boxer.

Something's missing, though...

Not until I look at the picture more carefully do I realize _what_ exactly is missing. Elise Rohan doesn't have a right arm. In the space where her arm should be, emptiness takes over.

And she's a world famous boxer?! Wow. She must be really good.

"From Chermoya, Star Lillian Flowers!"

Star Flowers, aged seventeen, caste Six. She has long, curly blonde - almost white - hair, pale skin and grayish blue eyes. She seems starved, the lack of meat and proper nutrition showing on her sharp, peaked face, making her eyes seem bigger and the rest of her features narrow and small.

I start to feel worried. Are all Sixes like this? Unhealthily skinny, and starved?

Her appearance, achingly beautiful but so heartbreaking, saddens me. I look away and pick an envelope.

"From Cress, Victoria Akkin!"

The next girl is nineteen and is also a Two. Long brown straight hair, blue-green eyes, pale skin. The thing I find interesting about her is that she's a firefighter, and one of the few female firefighters in Cress. She's really pretty, and I find it extremely embarrassing to look at her picture for a longer time than necessary.

I hope nobody noticed.

Next, from Dehargo, is Cassandra Vinci. I notice other things first, but the other audience are more interested in her looks. She's eighteen and a Three, with dark brown, wavy hair and ocean blue eyes. She's looking at the screen as though she's not excited about that fact that a camera is flashing off in front of her face - annoyed, but also mildly amused. I decide that I like her shown personality so far.

More provinces go by while I try not to freak out at how intimidating all the girls seem, as though they're ready to kill me if I don't pick them. Both Ennard and Exguily have interesting girls - from Ennard is a girl named Amity Johnson with the brightest smile I've ever seen, and Exguily holds a pretty brunette - Belinda Katana Vlahakis - with piercing blue eyes and sleek black hair.

"From Fas Derikko, Kelly Titaia Corbat!"

A sixteen-year-old Four with a bored but somewhat intimidating expression appears on the screen. She has chin-length black hair and a sarcastic grin that makes her look like she has a million better things to do.

"From Forestheave, Marianne Cabot!"

Cabot? Cabot, Corbat, I should start memorizing names already. They're gonna think I'm weird if I call Kelly Cabot and Marianne Corbat. She's nice, though. And nice -looking, too. Pale skin, wavy acorn colored hair that falls just below her shoulders, an athletic build, grayish blue almond shaped eyes, and a few freckles dusting across her nose.

"From Gerberas, Fernaelia Truman!"

She's a nineteen-year-old Four, with light hair and hazel eyes.

"From Gutizon, Vanessa Lee!"

I remember that Gutizon is one of the provinces that had been suspected of rebel attacks lately. Vanessa doesn't seem troubled, though. Instead she looks at the camera as though she's searching for something, but even she's not sure who or what. Brown eyes and wavy black hair tied into a neat ponytail catches my eye. I think of that time when I tried to tie Sera's hair. It definitely wasn't easy. How do people even do that?

More provinces pass. Harrispark has a girl who looks as if she wants to get out of the studio as fast as she can, and others have girls that I don't really think are distinct.

"From Hivisen, Kaitlyn Staebell!"

This girl has long, curly gold hair and stormy gray eyes. Which is cool, but nothing that catches my eye whatsoever. She has nothing in her info that is distinct from others. The same, the same, the same.

I inwardly sigh.

.:*:.

SAVANNAH HASTINGS

"From Io, McKenna Jeanette!"

I look at the screen, at the girl with strawberry blonde hair and soft green eyes. She looks nice enough, and I start to think that if I could be with girls like her I'd definitely jump at the chance to get Selected.

I sigh. While I still don't get how I managed to become one of the Pre-Selected, I'm sure the odds will not be kind to me today. Somebody probably rigged the systems and made sure the Crown Prince doesn't pick a _Six_ of all "unhonorable" castes.

Curse the Caste System! Who said they needed you, anyway?

"From Kaynd, Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld!"

I look at the screen with mild curiosity.

Then I almost drop my needle.

I'm still sewing on a piece of cloth as I watch - seamstresses are as busy as any other person, if not busier. The small screen on the wall doesn't exactly have high definition, but I can clearly see that this isn't a girl I want to cross paths with.

Veronica Sonnenfeld has dark auburn hair, sharp green eyes ringed with black, and the creepiest smile I've ever seen. Sure, she's really pretty - like the model she is. And she has blindingly white teeth fit for a toothpaste commercial or something. But it's the _way_ that she's smiling, as though she already knows she'll win.

Most men will immediately fall for her looks. I'm sure the prince will, too - which is a pity.

Only I, the Six who has spent her entire life getting laughed at by heartless Twos and Threes, know that behind that stunningly gorgeous smile is a bloodthirsty need for the crown - and the power it will bring to the bearer.

...

EIRA NOELLE CAULDEN

From Lotus, Arianna Ivanovich, an eighteen-year-old Three - a strikingly beautiful girl with long, wavy platinum hair and green, gold-specked eyes under long lashes - makes the audience swoon. I can see how she will grasp the prince's attention - pretty, not at all over-the-top with layers of makeup (that girl before, Veronica Sonnenfeld - her makeup was like the exaggerated kind I wear on the rink), and a kind but serious smile.

From Middlemist is Emilea Bryngelson, who is also an eighteen-year-old Three. She's definitely not an extrovert, I can see by her small smile - polite, but not overly excited. Her perfectly curled and softened wispy brown hair falls lightly down her shoulders, and her emerald green eyes with a hint of hazel look at the screen in a way that indicates politeness.

Everything about this girl indicates politeness.

Then comes Shilla Ellington, a nineteen-year-old Three from Montvex. I remember the skating rink there. When I visited two years ago, it was not fit for practice - the ice isn't properly done - but the decorations were one of the best I'd seen.

Shilla has raven straight hair and dark brown eyes. It's nice seeing the difference from Arianna and Emilea, as both the Selected girls display light, innocent tones but Shilla carries a more confident vibe - more bold and more persuasive. She's also shockingly beautiful.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the prince letting out a breath. I can easily see his nervousness, though he does well to hide it.

I keep on practicing. The huge screens installed in the rink let me see what's going on from any distance or angle, so I keep my eyes on the Selection while working on my quadruple lutz.

Shelstad clears his throat. "From Palrune, Julianne Chloe Pendleton!"

Caste Five, aged sixteen. All that spinning makes my feel lightheaded and I can't properly see the screen, but I can make out dark brown, lightly wavy hair and ivory toned skin. Her eyes are bright green and shine brightly. She seems skinnier than the other Selected, probably because she's a Five. That doesn't make her any less pretty, though.

"From Plumsande, Primrose Luscher!"

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

I take my time, observing the next girl. It's still really hard to believe Alex is having a Selection of his own, but oh well - things happen, I guess.

Primrose Luscher, a Five from Plumsande, is also sixteen years old and still very young - even younger than me. I study her appearance. She's got honey blond hair and ocean blue eyes, and immediately I'm jealous of her soft, curled, _honey blond hair._ Like, here I am struggling with boring platinum hair while this little girl here, no older than Logan, walks around in perfect blond hair that's not platinum!

As if I'm not already tired of seeing Anna's golden-brown hair everyday!

I mean, auburn. Anna prefers to call it auburn - something about more "maturity," though I think she just likes that color better. It really is dark red, but the light gold streaks covering the auburn makes the whole color seem golden brown.

Which is, like, my dream hair color. Either that, or chocolate brown. Or dirty blonde. Or maybe jet black. Yeah, jet black seems nice.

Basically, anything other than platinum seems nice.

Mother says it's 'cause my hair's white blond, but... I doubt it. I've seen plenty of noble girls eye Anna's perfect golden curls with envy. Me? Not so much.

Anyway, this girl's a Five but well fed, from the way she still has cheeks. I've seen worse before - that day when I partied out of town I saw a group of Four and Five kids, and none of them had their baby fat on.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes and snort. Dad has only the littlest bit of an idea what's going on beyond the palace gates. Almost all of his attention is used for international purposes, like maintaining a good relationship with France and whatnot. He should be worrying about the stupid Caste System, for once.

Alex is nervously picking the next envelope, and I inwardly grin at the sight of my brother's hidden side. He's always so good at keeping a polite but unemotional face.

"From Quinnt, Elizabeth Anne Wilson!"

This girl, who's sixteen and a Four, also has non-boring hair. It's dirty blonde, which means she has the hair color that I've been wishing for since I was little. Round, doe green eyes with yellow specks catch my eye. I decide that I now want to become Elizabeth Wilson. Except for the fact that she's a baker. I don't appreciate the art of baking - I've been scolded more than once because I always licked the cake in cooking classes.

Not a good memory.

"From Rineston, Piper Lockwood!"

What the - shoot, this girl's annoyingly pretty, too. Golden hair just the right length, pretty green eyes and pale skin. I just can't seem to figure out how people maintain their pale skin. Anna, in particular - she never got tanned in her life. _Never._ Sometimes she gets sunburned, but she never stays in the sun long enough for her skin to turn a darker shade.

I just don't get it! I'm probably already more tanned than any Royal has been - at least in Illéa. My tutors have gotten mad at me countless times because I always run out and stay in the sunlight. And get a nice bikini. And go swimming in that famous beach in Tanmer. Because Dad reserved a spot just for our family there. Because of the paparazzi. And my unusual love for swimming and suntanning.

I especially enjoy the flashing of cameras in the background when I go to the beach. I never admit it, but paparazzi's half the reason why I go to Tanmer, out of all places, when I can just go to Anveires's beach near the palace. Anna says she hates them, but I love the attention. The love and respect they give us. I feel happy, to be loved by my people.

Paparazzi made me realize that there's nothing more important than love.

I mean, I do know paparazzi's usually not a good thing, but still - it _feels_ like they care, which I like, so... yeah.

"From Rolezze, Grayson Danielle Chandler!"

Okay. I'll admit it. I'm jealous.

She has long brown hair with beach waves and streaks of lighter brown, tied in two french braids. She's lightly tanned, and has freckles on her nose and some under her eyes.

I really want those freckles! Argh!

She has tattoos on her arm and wrist, from what I can make out. If only Mom will let me get tattoos! I've always wanted one, but apparently we Royals need to keep our "image."

And people think being a Royal is so cool! It's a handicap, people. Be careful what you wish for.

Anyways, that's basically what she looks like, and I see from the other provided info that she's a country music singer.

"From Shandeli, Reena Garland!"

"From Snowdonia, Novalie Castelluccio!"

"From Tamarillo, Savannah Hastings!"

I'm kinda zoning out till I see that pic of Savannah Hastings.

Dude, like, seriously! She's also immensely beautiful. Long ginger hair styled into a neat, modest braid, doe-like brown eyes, and pale skin with various freckles scattered around. She looks kinda outta breath. I wonder why.

Being a seamstress doesn't sound fun, with the needles and all. I'm not good with needles, unlike Anna, who gave our parents handmade pouches filled with ring-shaped candy on their anniversary.

I hope Savannah's happy with her job.

.:*:.

PRINCE SEBASTIAN

Watching my little brother picking out his future, I almost feel envious.

But hey, it's a relief I'm not the one who has to stutter in front of the whole country when they finally ask you about girlfriends and dating advice, which is something they'll be asking soon.

I can't wait to see dear Alex struggling to get the attention of young ladies.

So would Al, cause he'd be embarrassed.

Logan would definitely give me one of his dear speeches about how he didn't think Al was happy with that.

My family's one funny group.

Utagg has this girl called Cordelia Harper Corte, who's supposedly a lawyer. Law's always been unimportant to me, but that doesn't mean _she_ can't be.

Nineteen and a Three, like most other Selected ladies out there. Shoulder length straight dark brown hair, tan olive skin, slightly pointed tiny nose, large almond shaped dark eyes, has the sense for a large smile. I would say, "Hot!", just for the sake of annoying my parents, but if I do that in the Report they're gonna kill me.

"From Valkyrie, Eira Noelle Caulden!"

Hey, I saw that face somewhere- golden blond hair, big green eyes - makes sense, she was on that performance thing last month. We went to that figure skating gala and watched this apparently really good figure skater twirling about. I'm not a figure skating expert, but I knew enough to get that she was good. At least, better than most other skaters. Anyone could see that, from the way she leaped and twirled on the ice with absolutely no problem. In fact, I was pretty sure she was more comfortable on ice than on ground.

She's also really pretty. My brother's probably getting overwhelmed by the wave of hot potentials. Never knew how to make a relationship work out cause he was never allowed to be in one, poor guy. Mother and Father won't let him, anywho, especially after the whole Crown Prince business.

I almost feel guilty for dumping the burden on Alex - he's not gonna be in a real, random, cool relationship forever now, just a fake bunch of random, acted-out crap that nobody really believes in. There's only a slight chance that Alex's gonna find "true love", and even then his life's not gonna be completely free and happy n'all. There's hardly any way Alex and die contented about the way his life went.

Now I feel really guilty. This is bad.

"From Winmynes, Siani Nicole Jameson!"

Caste Four, aged seventeen, makes jewelry. Cool, and her smile's my type. If I even have one, of course. Everyone's okay with me - or so I tell myself, because if that's not true it's gonna be really hard irritating my family members.

"From Zeltarinh, Charity Ember Prospero!"

She's got dirty blond hair and golden brown eyes. It's like Logan and Anna's hair in her appearance or something. Looks nice and acts nice, like her name, Charity; the eighteen-year-old Four works as a charity worker in a non-profit organization.

Sounds like someone I'd like to hang out with, unless she gets _too_ nice and kind n'all, in which case I'd have to get away from her as quick as possible.

Then I remember the whole treason thing that lunatic Trusanders put into action again and nobody cared to abolish the law once he stepped off. Shit, thirty-five impressive ladies in my house and I don't even get to hang out with them?

What kind of Selection is this?

As soon as I think that, I immediately reprimand myself for thinking in such a way. I brought this on myself - it was I who first declared that I would give the title Crown Prince to my brother, Alex. I'm in no place to complain about this...

...But I really, _really_ want to.


	6. Nothing I Can Do

**Thanks for all your love and support! Hugs, WP  
**

* * *

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Finally, it's over. I try to clear my mind of any remaining thoughts and sleep, but sleep refuses to come.

I can't help but think of Star Lillian Flowers, that seventeen-year-old Six from Chermoya. She was so skinny- I'm too used to seeing the relatively well fed maids in the palace and her appearance shocks me. Her curly blonde, almost white hair is really long, almost as long as Anna and Sera's. Her sharp jawline and thin skin, making her eyes seem bigger and her other features narrower, is screaming poor.

What would it be like, being so poor? I can hardly imagine living under someone, nor can I understand the word "starving". I've felt hungry, of course, but never have I known a feeling of great hunger, the supposed pain that it brings.

How can it be possible to feel pain when you're hungry? I mean, emotionally you might feel pain if you're really craving salad, which doesn't happen often, but the physical pain puzzles me. The feeling of hunger never has had anything to do about pain.

Complications. I shake my head.

Then there was Nicole Marie Stevens, aged seventeen and caste three. The files show that they're both seventeen and 5'2", but Nicole looks much taller due to having more food available. And the pair of heels she wears.

Loosely curled brown hair and blue gray eyes with pale skin. It reminds me of one of my cousins, possibly French or English, and I am interested. I lean forward.

Even other than those two, there are so many more ladies I'd like to get to know. They are so diverse in nature, and they all have different jobs than I.

I inwardly snort. Of course- I'm the "Crown Prince".

My thoughts are interrupted when a knock sounds on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I call, thinking it's one of the servants with tea or whatever thing Mom ordered them to give to me. These days both my mother and Annaliesa have taken to worrying about my health- as it turns out, both of them have noticed my recent change in behavior since the announcement of the Selection.

When the door opens, though-

 _"Annaliesa?!"_

This can't be true. Anna never comes in and checks on any of us. She's introverted even to her family, chatting only when she's absolutely certain that no cameras are around. She always asks about us, if we're doing well, but since she hates losing her privacy she also avoids barging in others' rooms.

"Hey, Anna," I greet her, trying to seem unworried. "What's up?"

"You can ask why I'm suddenly appearing here of all places," Anna replies. "I know you're confused."

"Um, yeah..?"

"I've been thinking."

"Of what?"

"I don't know," Anna sighs, "but I just feel it. Danger."

"You really need to be more precise." I tell her.

She shrugs, something I normally don't see her doing. "You know, the girls. I'm worried about them. They must feel so depressed, having to leave their friends and family back at home. But then they must also be happy to have a chance at the Selection. Maybe for reasons they don't think we know."

I raise my eyebrows. "Why's that supposed to be dangerous?"

"Because some of them might be..." Anna trails off, looking strangely scared.

"What?"

"Rebels."

"Rebels?" I repeat, staring at her. This is too unlike Anna. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I just-" Anna sighs. "Okay, I can tell you the truth. I was outside yesterday morning, just trying to take a short walk outside the palace and I thought I heard people gossiping about them. Rebels. Father's also worried- I can tell, the reason why he missed dinner yesterday was because of the rebels. He had an emergency meeting with his advisors."

"...Well, it shouldn't be too bad, Anna. If it were really serious the Selection would have been cancelled, or postponed at least. But it wasn't."

"Um, maybe it was?" Anna says, avoiding my eyes. "Because they found out about a rebel in the Selection? Someone called Fernaelia Truman from Gerberas?"

 _"What?!"_

"Sorry," my younger sister apologizes. "Mother didn't want you to know, because she said you didn't need any more negative feelings about the Selection. But the rest of the family definitely wanted you to know," she adds quickly. "Sera said I should be the one to tell you. I have no idea why, though."

I stare at her.

"Again, sorry. We never meant to frighten you, Alex. Fernaelia Truman was removed from the Selection and they're not letting Gerberas re-enter. They are taking new safety precautions, so there's no need to worry."

I rake a hand through my hair. "Alright. I'll try my best not to freak out. Thanks, Anna."

"You're welcome." She slips back outside of the room.

As soon as I'm sure the door is shut, I sink back into my bed and groan.

My life just got even worse.

.:*:.

PRINCESS ANNALIESA

"Did it go as we planned?" Sera asks me as soon as I walk in. She looks a bit... off.

"I cannot be sure," I tell her quietly. "He seemed a bit... too worried. I hope I haven't done something wrong."

Sera forces a laugh, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "You know he's just like that, Ann. You really have to get used to him and his hate for the Selection." Suddenly she gasps and whips around to face me. "Oh my god, Anna! Oh my god! I can't believe I actually forgot about this whole thing!"

"I don't understand," I tell her. She grabs my wrist and starts pulling me through the hallways.

 _"Sera!"_

"Mother and Father told me to come with you to their room while you were talking to Alex," my twin sister panted, not slowing down. "They seemed in a hurry. We all know it's not a good idea to make Father mad."

"Of course it's not." I tell her. "You should have told me the moment I arrived."

"Blame my brain!" She yells, smiling apologetically at a maid who is staring at us- all the while dragging me along. I roll my eyes and follow her reluctantly.

"Also, Ann, I'm sorry."

"...What? Why?"

She doesn't reply.

Two minutes later, we're sitting parallel to Mother and Father. Both are looking both stern and nervous at the same time - and immediately, I'm worried. Being the leaders of our country, Mother and Father have a pressure to always stay calm and so they almost never show signs of nervousness.

"What's wrong, Mother? Father?" Sera asks, curious. Mother sighs and turns her gaze on Father, silently telling him to speak first.

Father looks at us wearily. "Rebels are creating chaos everywhere. If we don't put an end to this sometime soon, your brother's Selection may have to be cancelled. Seraphina-" he meets my sister's eyes- "I need you to calm Alexander down and say no more about the rebels. Make sure he knows what's happening, but also make sure he does not worry about it. Alexander's thoughts on the Selection will largely determine how he will behave during the oncoming Report. We do not need any more rumors spreading throughout the internet."

"Yes, Father." Sera says obediently.

"Also," Mother says, "We do not yet know of what you wish for your future-"

"Mother, I've got a lot of wishes!"

"-And so we hope you could tell us, _after this conversation."_

"Of course," Sera grins. I can tell she's excited.

I don't know why, but in that moment I feel a twinge of jealousy. It is painfully obvious that Mother and Father have deemed me incapable of what they assigned Sera to do.

Just because someone is quiet does not have to mean they are incapable of calming others down. It is not like I cannot talk, either.

I stare at Father. "What about me, then? Don't you think you should at least let me do _something?"_

Mother stares at me. Father raises an eyebrow, also surprised. So am I - I did not think I would ever say something like what I did to my parents a moment ago.

"S-sorry," I say, lowering my eyes. "I don't know what has gotten into me, Father."

He studies me for another moment and sighs. "It's alright, Anna. I know you're feeling left out, and that you desperately want to help. But we plan of your future in a... different way."

Sera sucks in a breath.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Mother smiles, and while she's trying to sound cheerful, I can hear the fakeness in her voice. "You will be married to a Royal from another country by the end of Alexander's Selection. It will be good for both you and your country, Anna. We think Crown Prince Maxime Gabriel de Sauvettere of France will be the best pick, although, of course, it's your choice. I am sure you'll be perfect for the job!"

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

It hurts more than I thought it would, watching my twin sister's face crumble as she backs away from us and out the door, her eyes looking at anything but me.

She knows that I knew. And that I didn't tell her about it beforehand.

My heart is breaking into a million pieces as I watch her run away.


	7. Whats-His-Name Guy

**I know you guys are all wondering about the long wait. About that - sorry I couldn't update earlier. I was really busy for the past few months or so for RL reasons that I can't say because of privacy matters, but anyway, n** **ow I've got a lot of time on my hands so I can update more frequently.**

 **LET THE CHAPTER BEGIN!**

* * *

ARIANNA

It's time.

I nervously step into the plane after I hear the guard call out my name.

It's definitely different from other planes, that's for sure. It doesn't have a particular order in the seating - there are seats attached to the sides, but there are various sofas and cushions in between. There's also a small table with a tiny refrigerator.

It's amazing.

I cautiously approach one of the seats when-

"Hello. Are you Arianna Ivanovich?"

I jump, startled, to see another girl leaning against the wall. She's short, with green eyes, pale skin, and golden hair that reaches the bottom of her shoulder blade. She's looking at me calmly, without any sign of nervousness.

I just look back at her, not sure how to reply.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Piper Lockwood." She holds out her hand and I shake it.

"Nice to meet you too," I say quietly.

She smiles. "I heard one of the girls sharing a plane with us is a Two. Let's just hope she's not as stuck up as the others."

I notice how her words flow out calmly and naturally, as if she talks to strangers everyday, no problem.

Just as I'm about to reply, I hear someone approach us.

Piper turns to look at the new girl. "Hello. You must be Grayson, am I right?"

.:*:.

PIPER

The new girl nods and smiles. "Grayson Daniella Chandler."

She towers over me, like all the others - but I'm not intimidated or anything. I study her appearance.

She's about 5'7", with an hourglass figure and toned skin. Her french braided brown hair has streaks of lighter brown. I can see two tattoos; one on her arm and the other on her wrist.

"I'm looking forward to meeting the others." Grayson says, turning to face Arianna. "And you are..?"

"Arianna Ivanovich." I quickly reply for her, sensing that Arianna doesn't like talking all that much.

"Ooh, I remember you from the Report! I saw you and was like, _this girl's prettyyy!"_ It wasn't hard to see that Grayson wanted to hear Arianna talk- hear her voice, engage in a conversation and all, but Arianna simply smiles and says, "You too."

"Rrright." I say, gesturing at a seat. "Want to sit down?"

"Sure," Grayson replies, sitting down on one of the cushions on the floor.

I look at her inquiringly, and she smiles. "I don't like those seatbelts. Just gonna be sitting here till the plane starts moving."

"Alright," I say, noticing that Arianna had sat down on a window seat. I went to join her.

We sat there in silence, waiting for the final girl to come.

I would've liked to sleep a bit, but a sudden bustling sound jolted me awake.

.:*:.

GRAYSON

"Are you Elise?" I ask curiously when the new girl comes in. Her pale skin and pixie cut beach blonde hair sharply contrasts with her dark brown eyes. She doesn't have an arm, but that doesn't really bother me - everyone knows by now that it does nothing to deter her. She's a professional boxer. If that doesn't prove this girl's amazing, then I don't know what does.

"Yes," Elise says, choosing to sit down in a window seat like Arianna did. "You're..?"

"Grayson," I immediately reply, "Grayson Danielle Chandler. Nice to meet you."

Elise gives a small smile and rests her forehead against the window. "Same." She says, gazing out at the crowds surrounding the plane. "When are we starting, though? I thought we had a pretty tight schedule."

"We do," Piper says. "It's just the crowds. They need to clear up for us."

"How do you know that?" I ask, curious. She simply grins as a response and leans back in her seat.

Suddenly, a loud voice pops out of nowhere and we all jump.

"Hello and welcome ladies, I am your pilot Hunter Bernales and, seeing as the plane is taking off soon, I strongly advise you to find a seat and buckle up. The ride will not be long, but we are taking new safety precautions and the automatic seatbelts are not enough for the safest ride. Again, please find a seat and DO NOT forget the seatbelts. Thank you."

The finding a seat part was obviously directed towards me, and I laugh and sit down next to Elise. A few minutes later, the plane starts moving.

.:*:.

ELISE

I stay quiet as the plane takes off. It just seems pointless to say anything - everyone is lost in their own thoughts.

I think about my own situation. Sitting in a plane, soon to be a part of one of the most important events in my country.

Is this what I want? I can never be sure. But I do know that this is going to be a life-changing experience for all of us, whether we like it or not.

I think of Prince Alexander. Too often I've been able to catch him trying to look too serious in public, pushing down his real emotions and maintaining a really good poker face with the occasional dose of politeness. He's so different from Prince Sebastian, who doesn't try to hold back any emotions, even in public. He sees a pretty face in the Report? He immediately nudges either Prince Alexander or Prince Logan and mouths something that either makes them glare or hold in laughter. He sees someone he doesn't like? He leans back even further in his seat and rolls his eyes with a muted - but dramatic - sigh.

I don't know if that's a good thing or not. All I know is that they're too different. Yet they still get along perfectly fine.

Next to me, Grayson is studying the intricate designs on the cushion she's holding. On the other side of the plane, Piper and Arianna are both looking outside.

The crowds have definitely thinned, but they're still there.

I wonder what the royal family is doing right now.

.:*:.

PRINCE LOGAN

"Anna?" I call out uneasily as my older sister storms past. "Anna!"

She doesn't even bother to glance my way, and honestly? I'm shocked she's acting like this. If it were Sera, I'd simply go on with my day as if nothing had happened.

This isn't Sera we're talking about, though. It's Anna - Anna, who stays quiet all the time, prefers her own company other than anyone else's, who's usually in a corner knitting or reading like the princesses back in the old days, even if our society today doesn't have any sexist biases towards how a princess should behave.

"Anna!" I look back and see Sera sprinting through the hallways, after her twin sister. "Anna, I'm so sorry! I swear I tried to tell you!"

"Tell her what?" I shout at her back.

She doesn't hear me, but Anna does. "Don't act like you don't know, Logan! I'm disappointed in you! All of you! How _could_ you!"

"Anna," Mother calls as she, too, starts towards my sisters. "This isn't how you behave in front of cameras, especially considering the fact that Alex has a Selection of his own now."

I look around, and sure enough, there's a cameraman hovering several feet away.

My sister stops in her tracks and whirls back to face Mother. Her eyes are red and tears are running down her cheeks. "Would you say that to Sera if she acted like I am doing right now?"

Mother doesn't say anything. We all know she wouldn't say that to Sera, who never lived up to these standards anyway. The media already thinks of Sera as the "tomboy", and so Sera has no need to pretend she isn't. But Anna? If Anna starts behaving this way, people will start thinking that our attitude in front of the cameras isn't really how we are in real life. With the rebels and the Selection and everything, there's no way our parents can handle it all.

"I thought so," Anna whispers when Mother stays silent, her voice trembling a little as she shakes her head and starts backing away from us. She glares furiously at the cameraman, who's trying to follow her, and he immediately drops his camera.

"Anna-" Sera starts, but Anna interrupts her.

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say right now, Sera. I can't - I just can't, with all that's going on - I'm not so sure you're really my sister anymore."

I stare at my sister, shocked. Sera seems equally horrified as Mother as silent tears start running down her cheeks. She lets Anna run away and sits down on the floor, hard.

I immediately run over to her, helping her up. "It's okay, Sera, it's gonna be okay." Then I stumble back when I'm hit with one of her famous glares.

"No, it is DEFINITELY NOT OKAY, _LOGAN_ , and if you're _not_ planning on getting Anna to like me again within _the next twenty-four hours_ I'd advise you to STAY. AWAY. FROM. ME. Understood?!"

"Uh, sure," I stammer back in reply. Mother tries to put a hand on Sera's shoulder, but she shakes it off.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, MOTHER! I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!"

"Sera!" Mother says sharply. "You know very well that most Royal children are married with other Royals. This is a basic tradition, and that is exactly why your father and I decided to tell you beforehand. This is very common among Royals. I would have thought you, out of all people, would understand that."

Wait, what?

"WELL," Sera screams at Mother, "ANNA'S DIFFERENT!"

"That is very true," Father says calmly, and I jump, startled. I hadn't noticed him leaning against the wall behind me.

"SO WHAT'S YOUR POINT, _FATHER?!"_ Sera yells. "ANNA HATES ME NOW AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU! AND THAT STUPID MAXIME WHATS-HIS-NAME GUY!"

If I weren't in the middle of this whole fight, I would've found the whole scene pretty amusing.

"Sera!" Mother scolds. Sera interrupts her - rudely.

"NO, NO, NEVER AM I GONNA EVER THINK WHAT YOU DID WAS JUSTIFIED. JUST WAIT! I'M GONNA KILL WHATS-HIS-NAME!"

"Seraphina," Father sighs, not in impatience but in worry. "You're going to hurt your throat, screaming like that."

"DO I LOOK LIKE I CARE? ALSO, IF I EVER SEE MAXIME WHATS-HIS-NAME IN THIS PLACE, I SWEAR I'M GOING TO RIP HIS HEAD OFF!"

 _Yikes,_ I think, wincing. _She really must hate this guy, whoever he is._ I still can't get over the fact that they're trying to get Anna married off to some foreign prince with no warning whatsoever.

This is wrong, and even I know it.

.:*:.

ALEXANDER

I hold Anna in my arms, letting her sob into my new shirt even though Mother will probably kill me after this. I still don't know why Anna's crying and everything - she's too emotional to elaborate - but whatever it is, is must be serious. Anna never breaks down in tears like she's doing right now.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask carefully. She shakes her head and sobs harder. I pat her back awkwardly, trying my best to calm her down.

"Who's crying now?" Seb calls, and I hear him rush down the hallway. I quickly call for him, hoping he can help her feel better.

A moment later he pokes his head into my room and immediately notices Anna.

"Oh my God, Anna, you alright?" He worries, his frown deepening when she shakes her head again. "What's the matter?"

This question's directed towards me. "I don't know. I thought I heard crying, and the next second she was running into my room talking about how everyone... betrayed her, I think?"

Seb's always been pretty close with Anna, closer than any of our family (with the exception of Sera) has ever been with her. Despite their opposite personalities, Seb was the only one (again, except for Sera) who could make her engage in a conversation for more than five minutes. I'm hoping he can make her feel better again.

Several minutes later she's sitting up. Her eyes are red and puffy and her cheeks are tear-stained, but she's alright for now. I hand her a tissue and she wipes the remaining tears off her face.

"So are you gonna tell us what happened?" Seb asks. Anna looks as if she wants to shake her head no, but eventually she sighs and says, "Mother and Father are sending me off to marry some weird foreign prince."

Seb looks both shocked and furious at the same time. "What? How could they? Didn't they tell you beforehand?"

"No. Never," Anna says and stifles a sob. I hand her another tissue, which she gladly accepts.

Seb shakes his head slowly, looking incredulous. "I would never have thought..." He trails off, then suddenly stands up. "Listen, Alex, I gotta go talk with Mother and Father, so can you look after Anna for a few moments?"

"You can't dissuade them once they set their minds to something, you know that right?"

"I do, but at least I can tell them to delay the marriage until she's had at least some time to think about it."

"You can't," Anna mumbles, "because they've set a time already, so that I can marry someone before Alex's Selection ends."

"Won't that be too hard for Mother and Father to manage all at once?" I ask. "I mean, there's the Selection, and there's the rebels, and they need to set up a marriage for both you and me now..." I realize that I'm also expected to marry someone soon, and I don't sound so convincing anymore.

Seb notices and smiles tightly before grabbing Anna's hand and helping her off the floor. "Hey, Ann, let's go get you something to drink, okay? I'll try as much as I can. Maybe you'll actually start to like your prince after a couple of weeks."

"I'm not going to like anyone." Anna's tone is determined as she walks out. "And I'm going to make sure no one likes me, either."


	8. The Right Decision

.:*:.

MARIS

I try not to tug at the hem of my dress as I wait for the rest of the Selected to arrive. Seriously, they're taking forever!

Since I live in the palace, I don't really need to ride a plane - so it definitely doesn't help that the others are getting to travel around the country while I'm stuck in this place. My very impatient brothers aren't helping, either.

I certainly love them, but... still.

"Hey, Maris," Logan greets me as he passes, and I whirl around to face him. He's wearing even more formal clothing than usual, with gloves and all that.

"Hey," I greet him back, then I notice Sebastian coming over too. "Hi Seb."

"What's up?"

"Nothing new," I tell him with a sigh. "Why are the Selected taking so long to arrive?"

"I have no idea." Seb glances back for a second, then flashes me a small grin. "My sisters are both... not in a very good state right now, so don't worry much if they snap at you."

Sure enough, a couple minutes later Annaliesa drags herself around the corner, her eyes ringed with faint dark circles that can be seen even through the thick makeup we're all forced to wear today. Heeding Seb's words, I stay silent as she trudges past, her stunning red-and-brown dress contrasting with her dreary expression. A moment later, Sera also comes around in a green-and-blue dress, her expression only slightly better than Anna's.

Weird. I've never seen the two princesses like this before. Even Sera's not looking excited about the Selection - which is just... not possible. I'm so used to her squealing excitedly about Alex's Selection that her silence almost frightens me. It's like Sera... left Sera or something. Her eyes are blank, slightly red, and a bit puffy.

I wonder if she's been crying.

After what seems like hours, King Maximus and Queen Genevieve quietly enter the room. Neither is looking very excited, but they're not really sad, either. It's more like they're masking their real emotions with well-practiced poker faces.

The Royal Family has never been like this before. I've heard rumors about what happened around the palace - maids do like to gossip - but I'd never figured it would be _this_ bad.

I feel like it's my mission to cheer them up, so I open my mouth to speak - but before I can say anything, Alex walks in, wearing a spotless blue-gray suit and one of the old-fashioned crowns they used to wear before. He smiles at all of us for a brief second, then turns to look at the doors in front of us. The same, calm poker face that his parents are wearing replaces his smile.

When I look around, I'm the only one grinning. The rest, even Seb - _Seb -_ are keeping their feelings locked up, masking anything that's showing, until a clear, emotionless expression is the only one remaining on all their faces. Shocked, I also try to copy them but end up with a weird half-frown that probably makes me look constipated. I give up with a barely audible sigh and try not to think about the butterflies growing in my stomach as a loud signal sounds outside, informing us that the first plane has arrived.

.:*:.

CORDELIA

I gulp nervously as our plane slowly starts to descend. I can see the palace below us, its size barely bigger than my palm, but its presence is dwarfing everything surrounding it. I've hardly ever felt so nervous before. I wasn't even feeling anything when I first boarded the plane. But now, seeing the actual royal palace looming in the distance, the sun glinting off the gold design, with an actual _runway_ in front of it, I start to feel the anticipation rolling off the other girls - and it's starting to affect me, too.

Was entering the Selection the right choice to make?

Having second thoughts isn't really my nature, and I'm starting to get worried about my mental state.

"Nervous too?" Victoria, the girl next to me(she's a _firefighter!_ Immediate respect...), asks, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Sure," I say, looking her in the eyes. "I'm assuming you're also nervous about the Selection?"

"Pretty much." Tori grins. "I mean, who's not? This could literally change our lives, forever."

"You're not helping with my nerves," Shilla calls from the other end of the room. Julianne, or Julie, nods in agreement.

"Sorry," Tori says, but the playful glint in her eye says otherwise. We all laugh and go back to worrying about the Selection.

When we get even closer, I can see that a plane has already arrived. The Royal Family is greeting the girls as they get out of the plane. I also notice Louisa Marisol Roberts, who lives in the palace and is greeting the girls with the family.

I wonder if living in the palace and knowing the Royals for so long will affect her place in the Selection and make Prince Alexander feel more drawn to her than others. But then again, it might make the prince think of her as family, not a prospective wife.

Louisa certainly doesn't look as troubled as the others. She's grinning excitedly as she hugs all the girls and says something to them.

We're getting even closer. We all jolt as the plane touches the ground.

The plane's slowing...

.:*:.

SHILLA

We finally stop moving after a few minutes of nervous silence. We all hear the engine whir to a stop and the speakers startle us again - seriously, this is pretty scary. I can't see a sign of speakers anywhere, yet I can still hear them.

The Royals have some impressive technology.

Tori half-smiles, half-grimaces as she climbs outside, looking back at us as she drops to the ground. I climb out after her, the beauty of the palace stunning me in my place. I hardly notice Julie or Cordelia as they, too, come out.

First of all, this place is _huge._ It's even bigger than I imagined it would be, wider than it is tall, spreading out over the hill and most of the grounds surrounding it. It's basically an oversized victorian style house, except much, much more modern and technologically developed. I can already see a few security cameras and sensors, and I shiver at the thought of my presence being seen by every single camera in the palace. Guards line the outdoors, armed with little things that hardly look like weapons - but I know that they're a lot deadlier than they look like.

"Whoa," Julie says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I never knew that... I don't even know now."

Prince Sebastian chuckles, and all heads turn to stare at him. When he realizes that everyone's looking at him, he starts laughing so hard some of us have to crack a smile, too.

 _"Seb."_ Prince Alexander warns, not-so-subtly elbowing his brother in the ribs. "You're not supposed to-"

"I knoooow!" The prince manages to say in between gasps for air. "It's just so funny!"

"What is?" Julie asks, looking genuinely confused. Prince Sebastian takes a look at her and starts laughing again. Julie starts to look troubled.

"Am I acting strangely right now?"

"Not at all," Louisa assures her, "it's just that Sebastian can be... pretty weird at times."

"Who knew that the palace was so terrifying?" The prince in mention finally says, regaining his breath. "You just remind me of... Those dudes who come here every month or so. Or the tutors that are replaced every time either me or Sera manages to scare them off."

Princess Seraphina, looking sullen until now, lets out a small giggle. "I know, right?"

.:*:.

JULIANNE

Elise Idril Rohan narrows her eyes, and it's pretty obvious she's observing the Royals' every move. I could practically feel the observant-ness rolling off her from the moment we met. It's pretty intimidating, but also really cool.

I'm not sure how I should feel about the current atmosphere - should I feel worried that Prince Sebastian finds me ridiculously funny, or should I feel glad? I already know about the prince's unusual sense of humor, but I definitely did not know that he'd find my awe so amusing.

Shilla, the girl next to me, is just _-_ confidence radiates off her even though she's staying quiet beside me. She's looking over at all of the Royals with interest.

I tug at my dark brown hair in between my fingers as I, too, observe the people who I will be living with for, hopefully, months from now. They did lengthen the overall time given for the Selection because of the new "get to know better" idea, and I'm glad for it, but it's honestly pretty scary imagining living with all these girls inside a massive palace that's more like a maze.

Next to me, Grayson's eyes are sparkling with anticipation, and that makes me even more excited to barge in the palace doors and start exploring. It's a pretty fascinating topic for everybody - the strikingly beautiful, blindingly radiant royal palace in the heart of Illéa, and while the Royal Family does give several tours every year, it's almost always only for important families or Royals from other countries. Hardly anyone knows what's inside. When we were young, rich kids - Twos and Threes - would go on long trips to Anveires thanks to important family members, and some would dare to venture as close as allowed to the palace gates. The ones with really important or famous family members would get inside the palace, and at school they'd all boast about meeting the King and Queen or shaking hands with one of the princes.

I've always wanted to get that opportunity, but while being a famous cellist and singer helped me get to meet many people and travel to many places, it never got me inside the walls of the royal palace itself. I'm ecstatic to finally get a chance to enter the palace. Sometime I might get a chance to perform at one of the balls there.

My hands subconsciously move to the silver fiberglass cello case next to me. I'm glad they let me bring that along; otherwise there would be a good chance of me freaking out in the middle of the Selection.

A third plane can be heard from the distance, and I stay quiet as the others either look around at their surroundings or make small talk with the Royal Family.

Maybe Robert made the right decision to sign me up, after all.

.:*:.


	9. Final Arrival

**So guys, I'm finally back! I recently started looking through the past documents and realized that some parts were really... poorly written. I'm not changing the whole thing, but I'll be trying to rewrite a couple of mistakes whenever I can.**

* * *

.:*:.

VICTORIA

My long brown hair, once perfectly straight and smooth as silk, is now a tangled mess. The side of my head that rubbed against my pillows is all flat and totally not the way it should be looking right now. I dare a look into the mirror and groan.

"Are we there yet?" Elizabeth, or Ellie - the sweet girl with dirty blond hair - asks nervously as we all yawn and get up. The Royals have even better technology than I imagined - as soon as I stifled a yawn, my seat curved backwards to form the shape of a bed. Although our trip didn't take long, the plane glided smoothly and quietly through the air and I was able to squeeze a deep sleep in my schedule.

The other girls shrug, none knowing the answer to Ellie's question, but only a minute later the plane tilts and we begin to descend towards what I can make out as the palace runway.

I've been here a couple times before - being a Two certainly has its advantages, and my father, grandmother and I have been invited to social events held at the palace. So I'm not part of the collective gasp that the other girls emit when the palace finally comes into view.

"Oh my goodness!" Someone squeals, and I do my best to suppress a smile. Everyone clutches the windows and stares, wide-eyed, at the incredible piece of art that's spread out beneath us.

We finally touch the ground, and I can see the Royals and the other girls looking towards us. Some giggle and wave, others simply smile as the doors slide open and we slowly get out of the plane. I can see the three princes talking to each other, glancing at our group once in a while. Princesses Annaliesa and Seraphina both seem oddly... depressed today, and Prince Logan keeps trying to get them to engage in a conversation with the Selected. The girls are either speaking to one another or quietly looking around at their surroundings.

Even I can't help but feel awe at the sight that I've already seen a few times before.

This is the real start.

.:*:.

ELIZABETH

This all seems so surreal, like a dream. I mean, I guess this really is a dream - a dream come true, but I just can't bring myself to actually look at the palace lying before me and believe that it's for real.

It's _the palace,_ the one that kids in school would always brag about visiting, the one that I've always wanted to see as a child, the one that will now be the very place our futures are decided.

Who could imagine that a young, sixteen-year-old Four decorating cookies in her parents' bakery would one day find herself in the heart of her country, soon to participate in a world-famous event that could very possibly change her life forever?

The answer: No one. And if it weren't for the very realistic Royals grinning at me at this very moment, I wouldn't believe it, either.

But right now Prince Sebastian is introducing himself to us, and Prince Alexander is wincing at his... immature choice of words, and I need to stay focused on the current task laid in front of me, so I clear any remaining thoughts from my head and listen to what the Royals have to say.

"...We have one or two planes remaining, so we gotta wait, okay? There's this really high possibility that they're gonna be late, but unless they're too late we're waiting - but my legs hurt so much right now... maybe I'm not working out as much as I'm supposed to... hey Alex, d'ya think I'm not working out as much?"

 _"Seb!"_ The people I assume to be King Maximus, Queen Genevieve, and Prince Alexander all yell at the same time. A couple of girls giggle and whisper to each other. Prince Sebastian grins and gives Cordelia Harper Korte a not-so-subtle wink before sauntering back to where the two princesses stand. Prince Alexander rolls his eyes.

"What I _believe_ Sebastian is trying to say is, we have to wait for a while, so... yeah."

It's just the start of this Selection, and I'm already thrilled.

.:*:.

MARIANNE

I listen to the girls beside me chatter excitedly as I wait for the other plane, or planes, to arrive. Grayson is currently engaged in a conversation with Piper, who has this really businesslike expression on her face that's just so charismatic I'm immediately worried. Are all the girls in the Selection this confident? Do they all speak with a comfortable air when meeting strangers for the first time in their lives? Am I the odd one out in this group of marvelously stunning, extremely lucky girls from all around my country?

Luckily, most of the others seem as awed as I am at Piper Lockwood's ability to smoothly carry out a conversation, as well as her extremely good sense of fashion. I watch curiously as Piper grins and lets out a small laugh. Grayson smiles and starts talking about the beauty of the palace, pointing at the gold-framed windows and sparkling doors.

Speaking of the palace, I've never seen such a wonderful sight in my life. I don't even know how they managed to pull this feat. I heard the Royals who first built this palace hired the best architects from around the world to design and build the rows of connected buildings, which explains how the palace has such an otherworldly beauty, but... still. It is definitely not normal for something human-made to be so... magical.

I can't wait to step inside the palace as soon as I can. I've heard that the insides are much more luxurious and extravagant than the already luxurious and extravagant outsides, which makes me wonder if I'm dreaming at this very moment. I wonder how the Royals feel, living in such a fascinating home that can barely be called a home. If I lived here, I'd be bursting with happiness and immense joy every time I even _think_ about my house. I can't understand how the princes and princess manage to stay sane while living in such a place.

Louisa Marisol Roberts, too - she lives here. Yet she doesn't seem the slightest bit out of her mind as she excitedly talks to another girl about the meals in the palace, which are made by the best chefs from around the world. Just listening to her talk about the food makes my mouth water like crazy. Ugh... it's going to be hard keeping myself from devouring everything when dinner comes rolling around.

.:*:.

KELLY

"Aren't you excited about the Selection?" Julianne asks me, her fidgeting hands clearly showing her nervousness. I give her a slight smile before sighing and replying, "Not really. I mean, if I actually become the bride, I become the bride, if I don't, I go back to where I used to be, and it's just... not that big of a deal, at least to me."

Julianne gasps and looks at me with wonder. "I've never seen someone so... comfortable with the idea of entering the Selection. How does it feel like?"

"Uh... It's just that I don't really care, that's all."

"Oh."

We stand in silence for a while, then I decide to ask her a question.

"I'm assuming you're pretty excited about the oncoming Selection?"

"Definitely." Julianne grins. "I'm like, sooo nervous right now. It's the first time I've ever seen the palace before, and it's... pretty intimidating."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yep. Everything seems really... weird. Like, it's not real or anything."

"I feel that way too."

"I thought you said you don't care...?"

"I don't, but I still can't really believe this. I guess I never thought about the Selection that seriously before I entered. I just... entered, if you get what I mean."

"I really don't, but I get that you and I are different." We laugh and watch the princes bicker among themselves. It's pretty amusing, just watching them groan and glare daggers at each other. It's kinda funny how the Royals are so immature.

It's like they have a whole side of themselves that they never show us on television.

.:*:.

STAR

I hate that Kelly Willard.

She has absolutely no right to control my life! I get that I'm her maid, but now I'm one of the Selected and you'd think she would at least give some congratulations or something. But no. She just slams the door on everyone and now I'm supposed to clean up after her, like what?

When my name was called during the pre-Selection and not Kelly's, my owners - Kelly's parents - were furious. I was punished over and over again, and starved too. I would've stayed that way forever, but luck found me and my name was picked in the actual Selection the day after. If that didn't happen... well, my future would basically be over by now.

There are so many people I hate, it's getting tiring just keeping track of them all. My mother and father because they sold me off to this stupid family and lowered my caste from a Five to a Six, and my new family because they just abuse me and force me to do things for them that even robots don't do. I can't remember the last time I had a full meal, probably because I never did.

I'm currently getting so many horrified looks from the Royals and some of the other girls, but mostly the Royals. Prince Sebastian is staring at me with a look of utter shock, obviously because there's hardly any meat on my body. Prince Alexander took one look at me and immediately started looking guilty. Prince Logan angrily stormed up to his parents, pointed at me, and whisper-shouted, _"I told you the Caste system was stupid!"_ The two princesses are looking mostly worried, and a bit terrified. I start feeling a bit self conscious.

"She looks like she's getting erased," I hear Princess Seraphina gasp. I look down and feel my pale cheeks redden. I try to hide my face with my long, curly, platinum blonde hair that reaches my lower back - the best thing one could possibly hide behind, and trust me, I've done a lot of hiding in my life, but unfortunately my long hair isn't long enough to cover my whole body and everyone is still gawking at the sight of my sickly pale, unnaturally skinny wrists.

Well, I hear me being skinny isn't going to be a problem for much longer - rumor has it that the palace's food is one of the best in the entire _planet._ So hopefully, I'll be able to fatten myself up before I inevitably have to come back home and face the terror of my foster "family."

.:*:.

SAVANNAH

I pity that girl.

Who was it? Star Lillian Flowers?

We're both Sixes, and we're both maids, but... I know her type. The Abused, we call them, the ones that don't receive any respect as a human whatsoever at home.

If they even have a home.

At least I get treated right. No one starves me or beats me or anything. I'm sometimes mistreated by my employers, but no one does anything that physically harms me in any way. I mean, it's not like this is the Old Ages or something. Right now we're in an era of technology and development, and nowdays you can hardly find anyone who abuses their maids. Maids these days are only used for things that technology can't really cover, or maybe technology _can_ cover it but the owner of whatever house needs someone to talk to or something.

The Abused are rare, but they're still there, and Star is one of them.

My heart reaches out to her, and I'm surprised to find my feet walking towards the skinny blond-haired girl with pale blue eyes. She looks absolutely flustered, no doubt recognizing the pitiful gazes that she must receive every time she steps outside. I know how that feels, and I make sure not to give of any sort of worried feeling as I tap her shoulder and offer a shy smile.

"Hi, I'm Savannah Hastings, age sixteen and a Six. You're Star, right?"

She eyes me warily. "Yes...?" Then she ducks her head and stares at her feet. I immediately feel nervous.

"Uh, isn't the palace so beautiful?"

"I... guess so." She's not trying to be cold, and I know it. It's just that she was taught to reply in quick, short sentences when asked a question.

"...Are you uncomfortable talking with me or something? Because if that's the case, I'm sorry... I really am."

"I- I'm not uncomfortable talking with you," is her hasty reply.

"Uhm, I, uh..." Ugh, I was never good with talking to people. I'm normally super shy and I hardly ever start a conversation. Why did I even start talking to Star in the first place?

This is getting awkward...

.:*:.

NICHOLE

Our plane finally arrives. Gazing out, I observe the palace lying in front of me. I can't even see where it ends right now from where I'm standing.

The other girls are obviously as awed as I am by the beauty and splendor of what's in front of all of us. The Royals seem amused by their behavior - it's no wonder they find the girls' reaction to their home so funny.

I almost feel bad for them. The Royals have lived in the palace for so long, they can't even feel amazement when looking at one of the greatest pieces of art in the entire world. They've lost the ability to be fascinated by the grandness of the palace from such an early age.

"Hey," I hear from beside me, and I see Siani Nicole Jameson (as she pointed out earlier, her middle name's my name), a friend from Winmynes I made on the plane, grinning at me. I smile back. "What's up?"

SJ is a sweetheart and is hands down the best person you will ever meet. Funny without ever being mean or rude (unlike Veronica, another girl from our plane), and she's smart as hell and wise beyond her years, which explains why everyone seems so bright and cheery around her. Extremely optimistic and always sees the good in everybody - I'm normally really suspicious around people I first meet, but after a short conversation with SJ on the plane I knew there would be no need to be wary of my new friend. She would never lie - she hates liars, she said so herself - and she's very straightforward because she does _not_ like miscommunication, much like me.

Siani laughs and points at the palace. _"That_ is what's up, Nicky. As soon as I saw that piece of greatness I tripped over my own feet and tumbled face-first into the ground."

I burst out into laughter. "I can definitely imagine that." Another thing about SJ - she's clumsy, real clumsy. She bumped into six different things right after she stepped on the plane, then in the middle of our flight she decided to dare a venture towards the refrigerator (yes, they had a translucent high-tech refrigerator in the plane... Royals) and that obviously proved to be a _very_ bad idea.

"Anyways," SJ continues happily, "I can't believe this is even happening! It's, like everyone's dream to just get one look at the palace... Now I know why Riley bragged about seeing the palace in the fifth grade. She never was the same person after that trip, y'know."

I laugh. "Well, guess that means we're never gonna be the same people again, too."

.:*:.

SIANI

I try to keep a calm face outside, but inside? I'm freaking out right now.

Where's my inhaler?! I can't find it. I frantically search my bag, rummaging through piles of clothes and other personal items, but I just can't seem to find the one most important thing in my life.

Nicky notices my discomfort. "What's wrong?"

"Uh... Nothing. Just... Can you give me a minute?" I know Nicky's been a real good friend, and I really want to tell her, but I just... It's hard. I've kept my asthma private for years - I can't afford to lose that now. Someday I might tell her, but... not now. A lot of people can't fully understand asthma and the effects that it has on you. You can't really blame them, but... I normally keep the attacks a secret, and I would prefer to keep it that way.

She knows I'm keeping a secret, but fortunately, being the awesome friend she is, she doesn't push the matter further. "Alright, then. I'll be over there by that fountain if you need me, okay?"

"Sure." I force a smile on my face and go back to turning my bag upside down searching for my inhaler. I throw the contents of my bag onto the grass and shake my bag, but...

It's nowhere to be found.

I start to panic. True, I haven't had an attack since last year, and even if I do have an attack right now, the palace is probably the best place to get an attack - it literally has a mini hospital inside of it. But the thing that matters is, my secret will get out, and as I said earlier, not everyone understands how terrible asthma can get.

This is horrible. How am I going to survive the Selection without my inhaler?

.:*:.

ERIA

I stretch my body and start following the Royals, who are now starting to lead us all into the dining room. We step into the palace for the first time, and as soon as we get past the doors Princesses Seraphina, Annaliesa and Prince Logan disappear from our sight. Not thinking much of the sudden disappearance, I continue walking with the crowd, tying my curly golden hair into a ponytail as I do so.

"Your eyes are such a pretty color." I hear someone say from beside me, and I whip my head around to see a Selected grinning at me. "I love light green eyes. They're really pretty."

I continue observing her with my eyes narrowed, and she giggles. "Sorry. I'm Reena Garland, from Shandeli. You're Eria Noelle Kaulden, right?"

"How did you know my name?"

"I spent hours looking at the forms of all the Selected girls." She giggles again. "It's really fun." To me it sounds like she's the stalker type, but I don't say anything. Instead, I look forward again and continue walking.

"I saw you at this figure skating gala once," Reena says quickly, trying to keep up with my quick pace. "You were really good."

It's doubtful that she would know if I was good or not, but instead of saying that and hurting her feelings, I smile and say, "Thank you." As many of my teachers say, I need to start relaxing and freeing myself of tension, both on and off the rink. I'm aware that I'm too cold and aloof, but it's honestly really hard, not being that way.

Reena looks so happy that I talked to her, it looks like she's about to burst. I pity her. Why is she so eager to make new friends? Doesn't she know that we're all competitors?

It _is_ nice to have a couple of good friends, but only if they don't affect your daily life in a bad way. Throughout the years, I've come to realize that I don't have time for any friends in my busy life as a world class figure skater. Most of them do nothing but slow me down, and the breakups with clingy friends are always the worst.

I have to admit, it does seem pretty nice to have time for relaxing with friends, but... My life just won't allow me, and anyway, skating is my top priority right now. It's my love and my passion, and I would sacrifice anything - _anything -_ to do what I love.

.:*:.

PRINCESS MARCELINE RENEE DE SAUVETTERE OF FRANCE

I watch helplessly, unable to do anything as my older brother paces around the room, tugging at bits of his wet, shaggy hair.

"You should really try to dry your hair," I tell him, but immediately regret it when he whirls around and glares at me. "O-okay, no need to get all hostile on me."

Matt watches Max groan from beside me. "Gods, Marcy, d'ya think he's alright?" he whispers in my ear, and I shake my head, feeling more hopeless than I've ever felt in a long time.

C'mon Ren, you're supposed to be good at this sort of thing! What happened to the sly, gleeful matchmaker who helped the maid girl court the cute stable boy? I mean, that relationship _did_ kinda fail, but still.

We're leaving for Illéa in a couple of hours...

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

I watch helplessly, unable to do anything as my twin sister paces around the room, tugging at the braids she didn't let me pin to the top of her perfectly curled head, refusing to complete the look that I spent hours creating.

"You should really let me pin that up for you," I tell her, but immediately regret it when she whirls around and glares at me. "O-okay, no need to get all hostile on me."

Logan watches Anna groan from beside me. "Goodness, Sera, do you think she's alright?" he whispers in my ear, and I shake my head, feeling more hopeless than I've ever felt in a long time.

C'mon Sera, you're supposed to be good at this sort of thing! What happened to the funny, comforting sister who never failed to calm her twin whenever she felt the slightest bit down? I mean, I _did_ betray my own sister, but still.

They're arriving in Illéa in a couple of hours...

* * *

 **Yeah, I did that cause it kinda shows how similar Marcy and Sera are. I think they'll get together pre-tty well, though one can never be too sure.**

 **Also, I'm still really busy, but I found a bit of time recently and I think I can manage another chapter before I have to write slowly again. Ugh.**


	10. And So It Begins

**IT HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED.**

 **I know most of you like skipping the author's notes, but I recommend reading this to avoid future confusion.**

 **As all of the Selected need to start on an even playing field, I made sure that the amount of description or elaboration given on each girl was the same...**

 **At least, until now.**

 **Now that all the girls have been introduced, the real game has begun.**

 **As you will probably know, SYOC fanfics are almost entirely reader-based - especially for fanfics like the Selection Trilogy. The forms you submitted at the start of the story will define your character's future. It's the same for this one - I write the story, but _how_ the story goes depends entirely on the forms that you guys submitted. There's a certain way I picture Prince Alexander's personality to be like, and I know what kind of girl he will choose in the end. (I mean, even I don't know the ending yet, but I can guess.)  
**

 **Currently, I have no idea how I'm going to arrange the eliminations and dates. One of you guys asked me about how I'm going to go through the whole process, and I was a bit worried because I didn't have any particular system planned out beforehand. I don't know if others have a certain system, but I like to think my story just kinda... goes with the flow. I'd prefer letting the story flow and choosing the eliminated and the dates as the story progresses - you know, not with a certain rule on who gets to do what if they do this or that, but more like choosing the option that would currently best fit the flow of the story. FTC is set in the future, and the Selection's system is pretty different than that of the original books. Okay, a lot different. I changed a bunch of major key points to make the story more... original, I guess? So yeah.  
**

 **The elimination process throughout the entire Selection will go roughly as follows:**

 **...**

 **Pre-Selection (the two most valid options from each province, picked by royal advisors)  
Selection (drawing the envelopes, done by the crown prince)  
First Elimination (removing fifteen Selected considered unsuitable from the group, done by the crown prince, choosing the first group of Elite, done by the prince, his parents, and royal advisors)  
Second Elimination (only the Elite remain)  
Final Elimination & Selection (chooses the bride)**

 **...**

 **This is going to seem very unfamiliar. This is because in this Selection, the Eliminations do not bring the Elite; rather, the Eliminations and the Elite are two completely different concepts altogether. The Eliminations are when unsuitable Selected are removed from the Selection. The Elite are a group of five (not six like in the series; five) girls who the prince thinks most closely of. They (the Eliminations and the Elite) go parallel to each other, meaning that the Elite will be in the Selection as the girls are eliminated.**

 **Basically, as soon as the First Elimination is completed, the prince will choose five of the Selected he thinks he feels for the most and they will become the Elite. The Elite will be able to interact more freely and more often with the prince; they will have more chances to meet each other. They're not given too many unfair privileges or anything - they do get more time with the prince, but the Elite are there mostly for the prince to organize the Selected and help him stay aware of the current options. As you can see, the Selection is a bit too materialistic. While it's not something that is intended, the Elite are highly respected by the servants and maids, the country's people, Royals, and the rest of the Selected because it is obvious that they have a higher possibility of becoming the future Queen.**

 **The Elite can change; the prince (and/or advisors) can change the members of the Elite whenever he wishes.**

 **I will shortly be posting the names and statuses of all the Selected in my profile, along with the other characters who will appear in this story. The Selection in FTC doesn't have as many eliminations as some other fanfics do, so it'll be some time before the prince decides who to eliminate and who to choose as members of the Elite. There _will_ be the meeting at the start of the Selection, but the prince won't be eliminating anyone right after that. People these days value a lot of thought put into decisions - even more so than the past, so Alex will be expected to be doing exactly that when deciding who to eliminate and who to keep.**

 **As I mentioned earlier, this story is centered around your forms that you PMed to me at the start of this story. They will decide what will happen to your character, and eventually what will happen to this story.**

 **You can add or remove information in your forms any time in this Selection.** **Just PM me with any ideas, suggestions, requests - anything. If your character is soon to be having a date with the prince, you can PM me with any thought on how you think the date should go, and what you think should happen while on the date... etc. You can also PM me with requests and suggestions about previous chapters that I wrote about your character, for instance, what you think didn't portray your character well, what you wish changed for your character, what you hope will appear more frequently in future chapters.  
**

 **From now on, the character POVs will not be anything close to even. They can be long or short, the POVs will not be in order, and sometimes I may dedicate whole chapters and even more to a single character. The length of POVs do not necessarily decide the outcome of the Selection; just because a character had an entire chapter as a POV does not mean she will win, nor does a one-word POV mean I feel that character has no significance in this story. If you think your character isn't being portrayed as much as you think she should be, just PM me and inform me about what you think should be changed about the story and/or your character's current form.**

 **Even if your character doesn't have a POV in a chapter doesn't mean she won't have one in the near future, so there's no need to worry about any of that. What I'm trying to say here is, don't feel the need to put much meaning to the length of POVs. They're probably quite insignificant - what actually happens in the real story is what truly matters.**

* * *

 _(Shoutout to the user_ _HTMLfreak for creating the French Royal Family! Tysm :D)_ **  
**

* * *

.:*:.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

We accompany the girls to the main hall - which has been cleared out for the day - where their maids are waiting for them. Anna, Sera and Logan part us on the way, saying they need to get Anna prepared for her first meeting with the French prince. I agree with their decision; Anna needs Sera's sense of humor and Logan's sense of calm right now. She seems almost hysterical as she's led away by her siblings.

When we reach the main hall, most of the girls let out shocked gasps. Seb and I exchange amused glances - they have no idea how big and complicated the palace is. If their reaction is this big at the sight of the main hall, I'm sure some of them will faint when seeing the ballrooms for the first time.

Speaking of the ballrooms - we're apparently going to be having a lot of balls in the Selection. I honestly have no clue why my parents still bother to hold _balls,_ out of all things. It's not like this is the seventeenth century or something. Seriously, people should do something about this. I get that keeping traditions is important for us, but that doesn't mean every single thing we used to do should remain even now, when we have technology and definitely do _not_ need to go around having meaningless balls.

...I'm starting to sound like Sera.

Each group of two maids is assigned a girl, and we watch as they are led away to the Styling Rooms to be dressed up for dinner. Mother and Father are new to this Selection - they know the rules and how it should go, but Father decided Mother was the one very early on in his Selection. My grandparents had no need to tell him to go through anything - they already had a very suitable bride, who was in much love with their son.

I'm different, though. I just can't seem to find anyone. Mother and Father try not to put much pressure on me, but the Rebels are coming and the Royals need a way to convince the people that our country's future will be going as planned. They need to show the people that our country is united - and what better way to do so than to show how friendly the crown prince is becoming with girls from all around the country?

.:*:.

MARIS

Seb gives me a small grin as I walk past with my two maids. I know them both already - Relli and Nevaeh, both are maids I've met a couple times around the palace. I don't know them that well, but I do know them enough.

We exchange a few words of greeting as we start the way up the stairs.

.:*:.

ARIANNA

I can't help but stare at the high ceilings, chandeliers, and paintings in awe as we are led up the stairs. All around me, girls gasp in shock and fascination, some even in barely concealed jealousy.

So the rumors were true, I guess.

.:*:.

PIPER

I look around with mild interest as we walk past the walls of paintings. They were painted the traditional way, with actual human painters, nothing digital involved. There's a lot of gold to be seen. I'm positive they used real gold.

The palace, it's honestly the best thing I've seen in my life. It has an old-fashioned and modern feeling to it at the same time. Once we get our individual cards, every room we enter will adjust its room temperature, lighting, et cetera so that everyone in the room will be able to feel satisfaction.

That's only the start. A few years ago they had a map installed inside the palace - because so many visitors got lost inside the enormous building, we can use the small screens on the walls of every room to insert your destination, and then an arrow will light up beneath the floor just in front of you, following you around and pointing towards your destination. I've seen this kind of technology in places like tourist attractions, but in someone's house? Never.

It's honestly really cool.

.:*:.

GRAYSON

Are the Royals flaunting their wealth? This is absolutely breathtaking!

We enter a hallway where the sides are lined with dressing rooms - a long, endless array of curtained booths. We're each assigned a room, and one by one the Selected begin to enter with their maids.

.:*:.

EIRA

Reena Garland beams at me before she disappears through a curtain to my left, giggling at the very thought of a makeover.

Doesn't she know that Veronica Sonnenfeld, the vulture from Kaynd, is staring at her the way a predator eyes its prey?

.:*:.

STAR

"Hi," Grayson Danielle Chandler says quietly, and my head whips around to face her. I force myself to look into her eyes, remembering how disappointed Savannah Hastings was when I didn't do so.

I know that I'm now something much more respected in society than a mere maid, and I try to act the way it is expected of me, yet... It's just so hard. All my life, people told me that I would never amount to anything other than someone who is used. And as time passed, I began to tell myself the same thing. There was no way I could dream when my life was one itself - a nightmare.

"Hello," I reply, noticing how Grayson Chandler's eyes light up with kindness. She seems nice, the way her grin lights up her entire face, not just her lips. That's how I can tell. The smile my "owners" give be before they start hitting me is the opposite of how Grayson is smiling right now - the smiles are there, but they don't reach their eyes. The eyes are full of malice. Pure evil, nothing like the girl standing next to me. She's two years older than me, though - which means she might think I'm of lower status. You can never be too cautious.

.:*:.

ELISE

"What's your name?"

I turn to look at the girl next to me, who has jet black hair and green eyes. Jacintha Fayre - a Four from Bourvardia, I remember. She stares at me with her piercing gaze and seems to be evaluating me or something. I know I should be wary.

"Elise Rohan," I tell her, then turn and follow my maids into my assigned dressing room, not giving room for more conversation. Rude, I know - but I don't know how I'll handle conversations with the Selected, now that the game's officially started. Things might be awkward. They might get a lot messier than they already are.

I don't want that. I would never want that.

So for now, Elise Rohan is the quiet girl.

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

We're allowed to walk through the dressing rooms and check on the Selected. It was originally planned for both me and Anna to do it, but she told our parents that she had other plans.

When asked what kind of plans she had, she replied,

"I'm planning on being sick."

Then she turned and walked the opposite way. Everyone was too stunned to follow her.

Which is why I'm alone right now, peeking around the corner that I've rounded so many times as a kid, but it all seems so new and unfamiliar now that Alex's Selection has started. I don't recall ever being this nervous before. It scares me, to be honest.

And without Anna? Complete nightmare.

I suddenly wish I'd told Anna about our parents' plans before they told her. This is something that happens incredibly often in royal families, and it's common to be flown away to a different country - and Anna knows that better than anyone else. If this happened only a few months ago, she would've accepted her fate with few complaints. But now, things are different.

She's different.

I'm different.

Everything is untouched, foreign, and I feel like I'm on the verge of tumbling into an unknown universe altogether. Things I never saw make me feel nostalgic, wistful, longing for the past to come back and envelop me in its warm, blissful arms. Things I've been living around for years make me feel uninvited, unwanted. I hate this feeling of knowing what will happen next. They say it's usually the opposite - but when I was a young princess, living every girl's dream in a beautiful palace, trying to figure out what the next adventure would be, I was happy. Now, I know with absolute certainty what will happen. Anna will be sent away, Alex will pick his girl, Logan will probably be sent off to do some extremely important stuff in some extremely important country, him being the "responsible one" and all, and I will be left all alone, not knowing what to do or what to accomplish in my life.

I guess this is why I've always felt a special bond with Seb. I think we both knew, somewhere in our hearts, that one day we will find that we only have each other to hold on to.

But at least I still have Seb, right? I should be grateful that one sibling will still be here for me, to save be from this feeling of being lonely when I'm not alone.

I don't know. I both know and don't know what will happen in the Selection next, and how it will affect me and my family. We just need to hope he chooses a good bride - if he fails to, the entire country will suffer. And Seb, our parents, and I will be the ones who suffer most.

Ugh, I can't just stand here without doing anything.

I need to get out there and start making friends.

The Royal Family's image must not be corrupted. We must be friendly, courteous, warm, and polite at all times.

I guess my purpose of life is to keep the family image?

I close my eyes, inhale as much oxygen as I can, and walk around the corner to the hall, now bustling with life.

I never let the tears escape my eyes.

It's my duty, they say. It's my fate.

Maybe they're right. Maybe I have no use except for what I do.

.:*:.


	11. House of Cards

**Hey guys, the girls will have dinner with the family soon - get introduced, exchange a few words, et cetera - but before that they need to get ready, so... if you have a preference for your character's outfit, PM me! If you don't have a preference, or if you haven't PMed me, I'm just going to create an outfit that I think suits your character. But it'd be best if you choose the outfit for your own character, so... yeah. Anything even remotely formal will be fine. Which means, everything except pajamas. :P This is in the future, so clothing is not that important when you're meeting the Royals.**

 **This chapter is kinda short(?) but there's more content later on, so yeah, lol.**

 **Unfortunately, there's no chosen time for when I'll update, but I'm trying to shorten the time as much as I can. I'm not stopping or taking a break though - if I do, I'll definitely inform you guys - so there's no need to worry about that.**

 **Thanks :)**

* * *

.:*:.

CORDELIA

"Are we going to be wearing special outfits for the meeting with the royal family?" I ask.

Elli nods. "But there's still a bunch of things you need to get before dinner, like your card, so we'll be doing that first."

"Cool." I follow them up a flight of stairs and soon enough, we're standing in a long line full of Selected girls and their maids, all waiting to get their cards. Normally I'd be striking up conversations and having fun, but right now I'm wearing seven inch stilettos, I've just arrived at the palace after a long flight, and I'm also extremely hungry - which is never a good thing.

I sigh, trying to keep my stomach from rumbling in front of all those girls. Now _that_ would be a great first impression.

.:*:.

KELLY

"Place your right hand on the glass plate, please."

I do as I'm told, and soon a green light flashes from above the plate.

"Now place your left hand on the glass plate, please."

Another green flash, then the instructor taps on a screen and tells me to look into the camera. First my eyes are scanned, then a photo is taken, and soon enough, I'm whisked away to the next booth along with a small plastic card.

It doesn't look the way I expected it to. No markings, no letters, nothing on the card - not even my photo, which makes me suspicious as to why it was even taken in the first place. It's just a translucent piece of plastic. Simple as that.

Huh. That's really weird.

.:*:.

SHILLA

I wince when the needle enters my wrist. Not because it hurts or anything - these days people are basing syringes off _mosquitoes,_ of all things - but I'm genuinely disgusted by the idea of anything foreign entering my body.

It ends pretty quickly, though, and I rub my poor wrist, which has been forced to let in a small piece of unwanted technology that will never come out on its own.

They press my wrist against a glass sensor, then remove it and hold my card against the sensor instead. I wait patiently, anxious to finally get a completed card but not willing to show any unnecessary excitement.

After a few seconds, they hand me my now completed card, which doesn't look any different from the uncompleted version - but I know that it holds an immense amount of data. I hold the card carefully and make sure I won't drop it on my way back.

I wish I had someone to talk to. Like, really talk to. Spill all my emotions, that kinda thing. None of my friends are here, and it's pretty sad to think I'm all alone here in the palace.

But at least I have my card now. I can't wait to go around receiving all those privileges - the first one being my own personalized room.

Ugh, all I want right now is a nice puffy bed I can sink into.

I'm tired. In more ways than one.

.:*:.

RAYA

It's hard, being blind here in the palace, because this place is incredibly huge and they didn't let me bring Daisy and Echo to the palace. Something about not needing dogs when they have real people to help me around.

But what's hardest is knowing that I have zero chance of making any friends here, because first of all, it's hard to make friends when you can't see anyone, and second of all, no one would want to befriend a blind, terribly introverted girl. And I'm an extra, at that. I wouldn't even be here if Fernaelia Truman hadn't been caught. They planned on continuing the Selection as it was, but a simple last-minute decision is the reason why I'm allowed to compete.

It's honestly really degrading.

.:*:.

MARIANNE

"Whoa," I breathe as the room lights up in front of me. Having my own card in the palace is awesome. I purposefully shiver, making the room temperature go up. Then I squeal and jump up and down like a baby.

My maid stands close by, looking a bit puzzled. She doesn't know that I'm from Forestheave, which hasn't gone through Urbanization yet, so my awe must pretty confusing to her.

But I don't care. I keep laughing and changing the temperature until I calm down enough to realize that if I don't want to have to shiver for the room to grow warm, I need to enter my personal preferences into my card - and I don't know how to do that.

Thankfully, maid seems to know pretty well enough. She instructs me to bring the card up to my face. When I do so, the previously blank card lights up, just like a screen. Yolanda guides me through the steps and soon, my card knows my preferences as well as I do.

This is so awesome! Like oh my God, this is so cool. I don't think I'll ever regret making this decision to enter the Selection.

* * *

.:*:.

PRINCE LOGAN

There's this girl.

She has the most beautiful blonde hair.

Her laughter is dangerously infectious.

She listens with utmost attention to whatever you say, she looks at you with her beautiful doe eyes and nods, telling you with those eyes, deep pools of vibrant green, that she understands your pain, understands what you're going through, and that she will help you through your hardships the best she can.

She loves solving problems, both for her and for others.

Her hair curls around her, just the right length to caress her shoulders, just the right length for her to braid or tie up or do anything she wishes with it, without being bothered by a mass of dangling curls, as she kept telling me whenever I suggested growing her hair, her beautiful blonde hair.

At night she'd lead me up a hill, any hill, her town had loads, because it was located in one of the two provinces in the country that had not gone through Urbanization, and we'd sit for hours gazing at the stars. She would attempt to count them every night, all of them, but each time she'd fall asleep before she could do so. And it was fine with me because she always fell asleep on my shoulder, and it would always be me to bring her back home before dawn.

She was the one who helped me get through all those hard times, when Father was busy with politics and Mother was busy taming Seb and had no time for the rest of us, when Alex was sent to different specialized boarding schools every few months or so because my parents believed they had to save at least one son and, apparently, I wasn't going to satisfy their needs, when Sera was dragging Anna along to accompany her during her rebellious phase, when it felt like no one cared for me, no one even knew I existed, when I felt worthless, when the only option was to bury myself in books and never come out.

When I first met her, she had despised me.

Nothing could have made me happier than the day she finally let down her guard and befriended me.

It hurt, lying to her, but I knew it would hurt more if she distanced herself from me, so I lied without regret.

She almost always had a smile on her face.

Almost.

At first I thought she always did. I never saw her without her signature smile.

Then I became the one to make her cry.

I fell in love with her. It was impossible not to.

But then I had to leave her. I had to come back.

But then I did so even though she pleaded for me not to.

But then she came to me. She's here, in the palace, at this very second.

But then again, it isn't for _me._

It's for Alex.

* * *

 **Who do you think the mystery girl is? It gets clearer and clearer as the story progresses, so... soon you'll be able to guess who she is. ;)**


	12. Dressing Up

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

They're here.

The plane just landed. I can see them coming out of the plane, high-tech drones whizzing around them and tending to their every need - an obvious display of wealth to the family of their future daughter-in-law. Anna freaks out at the sight of the French Royals and inches behind Seb's back. I want to do so, too - but at this moment I need to be strong.

Strong for me, and strong for Anna.

They come closer. Beads of sweat line Father's forehead. Mother grips my hand tightly.

It would be a nerve-wracking situation _without_ Anna hating her future husband, and since Anna _does_ hate the Maxime guy...

This could end up a disaster.

 _Just until dinner,_ I think desperately, _please let this go smoothly until dinner, at least... until dinner.._.

* * *

.:*:.

BELINDA

I am just so _jealous_ of the other girls here. They have better booths, better makeup artists, better hair stylists, and cameras closing in around them. A camera has yet to notice _me_.

I don't get what makes me so _undesirable_ to them. I put on my pout and stare up at the maids through my eyelashes.

"I want the sexy look," I declare.

One of them asks, "What exactly do you mean by the 'sexy look?'"

"I dunno, like, sexy. Thick eyeshadow. And lips and stuff. I want highlights."

"Okay - Belinda, right? Do you have a color preference for your highlights?"

"Blue, I want blue."

"...Highlights are supposed to complement your hair color."

I'm sad. I've always wanted blue highlights, but my manager never let me... 'Cause of modelling and all. "But I want blue highlights! The prince wants a special princess, I heard..."

"...If you want a sexy look, _"_ another maid butts in, "you'll need a different color. Your idea may seem cool when imagined, but in reality, it'll be childish - "

.:*:.

SIANI

"GGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

I jump in my seat, and so does the makeup artist standing next to me. She curses under her breath, wiping mascara off my cheek with a neatly folded piece of wet tissue.

Every single pair of eyes turns to the source of the sound. It's coming from the booth right across ours, where a girl with long, jet black hair is wailing at her makeup artist - something about how "Mommy and Daddy told me I look good with blue highlights."

Weirdo.

.:*:.

EMILEA

My maids are polite. They are, perhaps, even more so than I.

I find it hard not to smile up at them. I have three maids - two are actual maids working at the palace, and one is really a cosmetologist - but, as Father has always said, they are no different than maids, when judged by their purpose.

Father and Mother would be proud of me. And they are, I'm certain. Right now, as the cameras float around, taking pictures and videos of the process, I smile up at them and give them all a small wave.

"What color, Emilea, do you think suits you best?"

I'm initially a bit taken aback at their... strange behavior - "ill mannered," Mother would say - however, seeing as they are maids working in the palace, I believe I can excuse their attitude. They are of higher status than normal maids, I'm certain.

I make sure to make good use of my talent in small talk, or so Father says, and keep up conversation with my maids. I direct them towards the more elegant styles, and smile in content as they do my makeup.

It is such an honor to be here in the palace.

.:*:.

ELIZABETH

My makeup finishes earlier than the other girls, probably because I don't really have an opinion on the makeup look I want, unlike the other girls. The one thing that I decided for myself, is my hair - my hair is done up in a double dutch braid crown, half up and half down with the ends of my hair curled. Just because I love braids. And, as they say, the Selection is about expressing yourself in a way you know others won't.

The only problem is the dress.

"Ellie?" Anemone, my maid, calls. I glance at her. She's holding up a huge emerald dress, covered with glitter and sparkling jewels. "I think this will complement your eyes. What do you think?"

Before I can reply, Sage screams, "NONONONONONONO!" She runs up to Anemone and snatches the dress from her hands. Anemone just stands there and blinks as my other maid throws the dress back onto the pile of clothes.

"Sage, what's wrong?" I ask. She turns to me with a... wicked grin on her face.

"I've got the perfect dress for ya, girl! The PERFECT dress! Oh my goodness, it's so perfect! You just have to wear it!" She rummages through the pile of clothes before pulling out a baby pink dress that would probably reach my ankles.

"Uh... I don't really know... I mean, I don't have a big problem with any of the dresses, I don't know what style people prefer - "

"Oooh! I know!" Anemone squeals, rushing to the pile. She digs through the other dresses before picking up a white dress.

"Blend of polyester and cotton, pretty flowy. It's a v-neck, which will suit your face shape, and oh my gosh look at those straps, they tie into bows at the top of the shoulder, isn't that just so cute, the dress stops just above your knees - gives you that innocent feeling, which you look so good with - "

Sage screams in delight. "Yes! This is it! Yeah! Anemone, you're a genius! Whooo! Let's try it on, quick!" Both of my maids rush towards me at full speed. They grab my bathrobe and urge me to step into the dress.

I hesitantly step in. It's more fitted in the bust area than I thought, but under the bust it's as flowy as Anemone described. Sage hands me a pair of teal converse high-tops, and Anemone brings teal crystal earrings. Then Sage rushes outside the booth to get a "good mirror," as she says. Anemone doesn't let me look at myself before Sage comes back.

I look in the full-length mirror my maids drag in front of me, and I gasp.

In all those sixteen years of my life, I've never looked so... presentable. Bakery work always left my braids half undone and my clothes were always covered in powder. But this? This is a side of myself that I've never seen before.

And I love it.

.:*:.

VICTORIA

"Y'know, guys," I say, "I actually don't really mind what style you choose - it's only the first dinner, after all - but I just want to show I did an effort, you know? Like, no weird outfits. I want to show that I really want to be here, if you get what I mean."

"I do." Scarlett grins. "I know exactly what type of dress will do the trick. The only problem is the dress length and color. Any favorite color?"

"Blue," I reply immediately. "Turquoise blue, to be specific."

Scarlett's grin grows even wider, and she and Calla exchange a glance. Then Calla turns and rushes toward a rack of dresses.

After a few moments of searching, she comes out with an elegant turquoise blue dress. It has a sweetheart bodice that flows from a gathered waistline into a skirt with a stately high-low hemline. It's short and fashionable, neither too casual nor too fancy, and gives off a lovely vibe altogether.

I try it on, and my maids help me into a pair of matching heels. A few pieces of jewelry and my look is complete.

.:*:.

VERONICA

I find the lack of stylist diversity here utterly disappointing. I'm honestly revolted that the palace has failed to take good care of its servant system. I mean, this is a palace, out of all places. And this is also the Selection.

"I'm going to need to be sexy tonight," I tell my maids.

"Details?"

"Dark eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, an overall mysterious yet alluring look. And lips - full and red. I want lowlights. Easy with the curls. Maybe it would be better without them... Yeah, no curls. And attachable eyelashes would be nice, though it might give off a fake vibe... Unless, of course, you really are as skilled as the palace makes you out to be."

The maid gulps. I inwardly smirk - she's intimidated. Good. "Okay - Veronica, was it? Do you have a color preference when it comes to lowlights?"

I glare down at the frightened maid, exhale sharply, and say, "Black. It's obviously the only color that can give me effective lowlights. I'm pretty disappointed. What's my hair color?"

"Deep brown," the maid says meekly.

I raise an eyebrow. "So you did know that my hair color is dark brown. What's the one color darker than dark brown?"

"Black..." she mumbles, and I begin to nod in satisfaction when she adds, "and taupe. You must be colorblind not to see that there are more shades of color to the spectrum than that."

.:*:.

SIANI

Yet another shrill scream, with a different voice, makes me jump in alarm - just as Vounné is redoing my mascara. Once again, my makeup is smudged - and my makeup artist is anything but pleased. She lets out a string of curse words before picking up another piece of wet tissue. I wrinkle my nose in disgust and glance up to see the reaction of my own cosmetologist - but Vounné looks like she's far more interested in wiping off the ink on my face than with the scene in front of her.

"You're not, like, mad or anything? That girl there's kinda crazy," I tell her. "Any sympathy for a fellow makeup artist?"

"Nah." She frowns at my cheek and rubs harder. "There's always one or two of 'em for every Selection. It's actually becoming some sort of thing among makeup artists... People pity the one stuck with the weirdo. And anyway, everyone knows they're just stupid bitches. We just ignore them, like dignified people - FUCK YOU, YOU STUPID, EXTREMELY DURABLE, EXTREMELY WATERPROOF MASCARA!"

I grin. "I like you."

Her eyes flit down to me, a small smile on her lips despite her annoyance. "Me too."

We laugh, paying no heed to the shrieking of the crazy girl across our booth.

.:*:.

ARIANNA

I twirl for my excited maids. I love my appearance, which gives me a light and breezy vibe. My dress is a creamy white color. It's an off-shoulder dress - the top fits snugly around my chest, but the skirt is flowy and fades into a gold color. I'm in black pumps, my hair up in a half-do. My maids, Coral and Esti, battled over the makeup for a while - but at last they settled for a light look, with only a bit of eyeliner and eyeshadow that brings out my eyes.

Coral reaches over and opens the curtains that divides this booth from the main hall. As soon as my booth is opened, cameras fly inside, whizzing around me and taking pictures - no doubt to spread them to the crowds. I'm not sure if I need to strike a pose or not - but Esti tells me to simply look natural. I give the cameras a slight smile and wave.

.:*:.

SAVANNAH

I've never worn such a dress before. Working as a seamstress, I always _made_ those fancy dresses - I was never allowed to wear them, or use the given fabric to make some for myself.

My makeup is done light, with only a few touches to liven up my face. Calais, Elli, and I choose a greek styled dress, blush-colored with an asymmetrical neckline. It's made with a light material that makes it comfortable to wear - not too tight and not too loose, and it flows around my body in such a way that I feel euphoric.

My hair is let down, which feels weird because I usually wear it in a braid. I'm still considering a french braid, but I do want to try something new... I don't know, either way I'm becoming prettier than most of the other seamstresses I know will ever be.

This is getting better and better. I can't wait to send my family a video call.

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

"Hiwhat'syourname?" I ask. I'm supposed to be walking around and making conversation, but this small girl in front of me is the only one who I can muster up the courage to talk to.

The girl I'm talking to, a sixteen-year-old Four with amber eyes, seems a lot more eager than I currently am. She beams up at me, wearing a bright red dress with shiny orange decorations. Her stylist is hurriedly fixing her curled hair, which is bouncing out of place every few seconds because the girl just can't stay still. "Reeeeena! My name's Reena Garland, and I'm from Shandeli, and oh my goodness you're the princess, right? Princess Seraphina? Whoa, I've always wanted to talk to you! You're so cool! I love your hair by the way, I've always wanted to try platinum hair but everyone says I won't look good in it, but you certainly do!"

"Oh, that's so cool, thanks, bye!"

"Wait! I'm not finished-"

"G'bye!"

"But I'm not done with my introduction!"

"Ohmygodthat'ssocool,like,thecoolestthingever!" I quickly turn, fully intending to run off, but then I remember her hurt face and can't help coming back. "You wanted to say?" I ask, my voice meek.

She doesn't seem to mind. "Yeah, so I was wondering, y'know, like, what kind of girls does Prince Alexander like?" She worriedly rearranges her curls, which only makes them even messier. Her hair stylist groans and shakes her head in exasperation. "I mean, I'm not trying to be any of those, like, y'know, super jealous and like super competitive girls, but like, I'm just kinda worried he'll hate me... maybe he'll think I'm like super childish! I don't like being the childish one... Does he hate childish girls?"

"Uh... If you get so worried and all, he'll think of you as insecure..."

"Oh." She frowned. "Wait a minute... Why're you acting so meek and shy all of a sudden? You're not like this on screen."

I laugh, thankfully a little less awkwardly. "You have no idea..."

"So things have changed, huh?"

"Since the big announcement? Definitely. Alex threw a huge fit, yelled at Seb n'all... Which resulted in Seb coming home at three in the morning, horribly drunk and reeking of alcohol. He had a massive hangover the next day, missed breakfast, came blundering down the stairs and crashed into a missionary from France, potentially ruining any chance of the already rocky relationship succeeding... which made Mom and Dad force Anna to marr - wait a sec, why am I telling you stuff like this? We barely even know each other... Sorry for that rant, you can forget everything I just said."

"No, no, your secret's fine with me."

"It - it's not a secret!"

"Sure." She grins.

"We Royals do not keep secrets from our citizens," I recite. But Reena only shakes her head.

"I know you do. You must, right? Royals shouldn't cause panic. It's okay. I know."

I stare at her. She smiles and deliberately tosses her head, causing curls to fly everywhere.

Her hair stylist throws her hands up in the air. "I give up!"

"Whoa, Isoyne, calm down." I sneak Reena a smirk. "I'm sure Reena didn't mean to ruin your work, right?"

Reena smirks right back. "Of course." She waves her hand in a mockingly prim way. "You may continue," she says in a snotty voice. I giggle.

She's just like a little sister. I'm starting to like her.

.:*:.


	13. Dinner

**I don't know why I'm uploading so often lately, but it's a good thing, right? lol**

 **The problem with this chapter is that it's unedited, so... yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Also, it's kinda short. Sorry 'bout that, too.**

 **Disclaimer: I apologize beforehand for any grammatical errors / typos you may come across while reading this chapter... T-T**

* * *

.:*:.

ALEX

"Hello." I greet the first girl who enters the room. I'm shaking inside, but outside I need to appear calm and collected. I try to stop my hands from trembling.

"...Hi," she says in a small voice. I give her a small smile. So she's as nervous as I am.

"What's your name?" I ask, ignoring the glares from my parents. I'm supposed to know all their names by now - it's basically an assignment for me to memorize all the forms. Their names, their provinces, their jobs, their favorite pastimes... But I just couldn't find the time to do all that.

Okay, I _did_ have the time to do all that. I just didn't want to.

Memorizing the forms would make the Selection seem too real.

Fortunately, none of the Selected know about my duty to know all their names. The girl in front of me, who's wearing a blue-fading-to-gray dress that reaches the floor, introduces herself as Nichole Marie Stevens. I lead her toward her seat, and she shakily sits down.

The next girl, Belinda Vlahakis, is wearing a deep royal blue dress, which immediately reminds me of the dress Sera wore three months ago at this public meeting. Judging by the way my sister stiffens beside me, she probably copied the style to use for herself.

Or maybe she didn't. She looks really... creative, with strands of her dark hair dyed blue n'all.

I don't know. I'm not an expert on those things.

Next comes a girl with golden hair similar to that of Anna's. She's dressed like a celebrity - she's wearing a navy blue dress with spaghetti straps and a silver belt, and on top of her head is a silver headband with a star on it. Her dress ends just above the knee, and her silver heels make a clicking sound as she comes toward me. Introducing herself as Piper Lockwood, she accepts my hand and confidently walks toward her seat.

Reena Garland skips into the room and squeals in delight as she takes in the sight around her. Her dress is a blaring red color, with swirling patterns that reflect hints of orange. Her personality seems as bright as the dress, and she beams all the way to her seat.

The next girl is wearing an extravagant metallic gold dress that swishes around her in a hypnotizing way as she walks. Her neckline is cut _way_ down in the deepest v-line I've ever seen, revealing most of her... voluptuous cleavage. An excessively fancy necklace dangles between her breasts, daring one to look - but I don't. I'm too intimidated to do so.

She takes my hand, looks at me seductively through her eyelashes, and says in a sultry voice - "Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld, your highness. I work as a supermodel, in case you were wondering."

"He wasn't," I hear Seb whisper to Sera.

Sera whispers back, "Poor Alex. He's probably too scared to do anything."

They know me too well.

Yet another girl walks in - she's the only girl who's not in a dress. She's wearing a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt, black jeans, and black boots. She doesn't stop to tell me her name and, instead, smoothly walks over to her seat and sits down.

Grayson Chandler, Marianne Cabot, Julianne Chloe Pendleton, Cordelia Harper Korte... There are just too many names for me to remember, and I feel like I've done more memorizing in the past few minutes than I've done in my whole life.

When - at last! - all of the Selected are settled down, I turn toward the other door. If they got the timing correct, the French Royal Family should be coming in right now...

There's nothing but silence.

"Well, this is awkward," Seb chuckles, running a hand through his hair - the only sign of his distress. He gives the Selected an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I think that Max guy is running late. He's trying to look good for Anna, y'know."

"Sebastian!" Mother snaps.

"Sorry," he says again, "Crown Prince Maxime Gabriel de Sauvettere of France. Satisfied?"

"If you take out the 'satisfied' part, then yes, I'll be satisfied," Mother replies, and looks away.

A few of the Selected giggle.

I'm so embarrassed right now. I can feel my ears turn red.

After what seems like an eternity, Father sighs. "Well, I guess we'll have to start dinner without them," he says, and my family starts to sit down.

I also take my seat at the head of the table, between Mother and Father. I can see the entire table from where I am - I see the girls staring and whispering at us, I see my siblings staring and whispering at them, and I see my parents exchanging worried glances.

Father clears his throat. The chatters immediately die down, and all eyes focus on the three of us - Father, Mother, and the extremely nervous prince. Father nudges me with his elbow, and I realize that it's my cue to speak.

"Um," I start - terrible, terrible start, Alex! What are you thinking? - "thanks for coming here. I... know this is all awkward and everything because this is, y'know, the first dinner..."

This time, Mother nudges me with her elbow. It's a reminder to sound formal.

Maris - no, it's Louisa now - gives me a thumbs-up.

"...but I hope you have a nice time... because this meal was cooked by one of the greatest - "

The next nudge comes from both my parents. I internally slap myself. I'm not supposed to sound like I'm boasting about my family's wealth.

" - it was cooked by a good chef. So... yeah."

Too short, Alex! Too short! I have to continue, somehow.

"Also - " I'm interrupted by the sound of doors being banged open. Two guards are holding the doors, and I see the French Royal Family on the other side.

This must be the worst timing in palace history.

Fortunately, Seb knows how to take care of an awkward situation. He immediately stands up. "The French Royal Family, everyone," he says quickly, and rushes to escort them to their seats.

I know who Maxime is. I saw him once at a ball in England. I never talked to him or anything, but I know enough to know who he is when I see him.

That... bastard doesn't even look at Anna as he crosses the room and sits down in his chair. He doesn't accept Seb's greeting - he merely gives a small nod.

My poor sister looks flustered as she desperately looks at my parents for help, help that even they don't know how to give.

Somehow, the dinner continues.

Somehow, nobody dies of embarrassment.

I manage to make small talk with some of the Selected. I choose the ones I'm not already intimidated by - Lousia, Amity, Julianne, and a girl called Siani who makes us all laugh.

I slowly start to loosen up.

.:*:.

ELISE

"Oh my gosh, what happened to your arm?" A girl asks.

I turn toward the source of the voice. I remember the girl from the Report - Siani Nichole Jameson.

"I lost it," I say.

"Well, obviously," the girl says. Then her eyes widen. "OMG, did I just offend you? I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just asking... Shit, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," I tell her. It really is. It's hard not to notice when the person next to you has a missing arm. I've been asked that question countless times - I've gotten used to it.

"I... Is it okay if I ask how you lost it? I'm sorry... I'm just so curious. You don't need to answer," she adds quickly.

"Seriously, it's fine," I tell her. "I lost it in a boxing match. It was crushed, and the doctors decided to amputate it out of fear it would affect other parts of my body."

"Shit, that's so sad," Siani says. "What happened to boxing?"

"I continued," I say. "It wasn't that of a big deal. I just had to train harder, and that was about it."

"Whoa. That is, like, so awesome," she says. "So... you just got over the incident, and now... you're still a boxer? Wow. What am I doing with _my_ life?"

I laugh. "It really was no big deal."

"Of _course_ it was a big deal." After a few moments, she asks, "What's your name? Sorry, I suck at remembering names..."

"Elise Idril Rohan," I tell her.

Her eyes immediately widen. "OMG! Elise Idril Rohan? The boxing champion? It's you?"

"Yeah."

"Shit!" She repeats. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"You really seem to like that word," I comment.

She grins sheepishly. "Yeah, it's just a bad habit." She pauses, then says again, "Shit!"

.:*:.

PRINCESS SERAPHINA

My eyes search the Selected.

Where is she?

More importantly, _who_ is she?

.:*:.

ALEX

"Uh... your highness?" a girl says, and I snap my head around to look at her.

The girl tells me her name is Kaitlyn Staebell. She's a seventeen-year-old Four from Hivisen. Her hair is curly, her eyes a stormy gray color. She's wearing a dress as gold as her hair.

"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you because..." she looks around nervously. "Can I move my seat?"

"Sure, but why?" I ask, curious.

"This girl... she's glaring daggers at me because we both have gold dresses and I just... am too frightened by her."

I quickly look around. The only other girl at the table with a completely gold dress is Veronica Sonnenfeld, that model from Kaynd - the one I was intimidated by. And sure enough, she's currently narrowing her eyes at Kaitlyn with a deathly glare.

"You can move your seat next to Seb, if you'd like," I offer, but she shakes her head.

"Not next to any of the Royals, please... she's going to kill me."

"She's that bad?"

"You have no idea." She sighs. "Actually, I have a better idea." She stands up and promptly throws up on the floor.

Anna gasps. Mother stands up and orders the servants to get some towels. She rushes to Kaitlyn and wipes her mouth with a napkin. "Oh my goodness, dear, are you alright?" she asks worriedly, "what am I saying, you're not alright. Let me get you to the kitchens... they have the nearest sink... it must've been the chicken... it was the chicken..." she hurries off with Kaitlyn.

I stare after them. As servants rush in to clean up the mess, all I can think of is, how in the world did that girl manage to vomit on cue? Was that even intentional?

This is getting weirder and weirder.

.:*:.

KAITLYN

I internally cackle as the queen leads me to the kitchens. Plan B worked! It worked beautifully.

I'm so glad I worked in that damn circus for so long. I learned too many tricks to count, like how to cough up things that should remain in my stomach.

This is getting better and better.

.:*:.

SHILLA

"Hey," someone whispers in my ear, and I jump.

When I turn around, I see it's Prince Sebastian. I incline my head in recognition. "Your highness."

He's grinning from ear to ear. "Why isn't such a beautiful girl like you engaged in any kind of conversation?"

I narrow my eyes. I've heard of this prince. I know of his playboy behavior.

Well, I'm not falling for it.

"I am not interested in you," I state, and turn back around.

The prince smirks. "You have attitude, don't you?" He leans toward my ear again. "I like it," he whispers.

"Seb, just stop," Prince Logan warns, but the other prince just smiles wider.

"Why, Logan, you jealous?"

"Seb!"

"Hmm?"

"Mother's looking at you."

Prince Sebastian immediately goes silent. He slowly looks at his mother, who just happened to witness his act as she was coming back from the kitchens.

"...Hey, Mom."

"Seb."

"You sound like Logan. Or does Logan sound like you?"

 _"Sebastian!"_

"Sorry, Mother."

"You should be." She looks at me. "I'm sorry, dear - Sebastian gets a little... extra whenever he's surrounded by pretty girls like you. Don't fall for him - you deserve a better man." She winks.

"Mom!" Prince Sebastian complains, but the queen simply gives me a wave and glides off.

I try to hide my smile as I look down at my plate.

.:*:.

SAVANNAH

I'm currently having a conversation with Vanessa. It started when I commented on her dress - a beautiful white sundress with a beautiful ribbon adorning the side. She, in turn, complimented my dress, and we began to have an exciting conversation about dresses.

Vanessa is a good friend to be around. She's very easygoing and open-minded, and doesn't seem to care about the fact that we're three castes apart. At first I was worried that she wouldn't talk to me since I'm a Six, but she seemed pretty happy to accept my compliment.

"What's it like, being a seamstress?" She asks me. "Don't you come across a lot of cool dresses?"

"Sure," I tell her, "I see a bunch of really pretty clothes. And sometimes I'm able to get my hands on them, too."

"That's so cool!" Nessa grins. "I wish I had some experience as a seamstress. It would help me design clothes for games, too."

I'm surprised. "You design games?"

"I create them, actually." She smiles. "Ever heard of 'The Invisible Runaway?'"

"Oh my gosh, you made that?"

"Yep. Me and a friend of mine."

"Wow."

"I know. Even I can't believe it, haha."

"Do you have any other games?"

"Sure. I don't know if you know this one, but..." she starts listing a bunch of games - the most famous ones - and I can't help but be amazed.

I wish I had been born a Four, at least. There would've been a lot more opportunity for me. I could have spent my time developing games like Nessa, instead of being abused by my employers all the time.

Then I look across the room at Star. She's sitting quietly, hands folded in her lap, her plate already scraped clear. She ate so much today, but her face remains pale and gaunt, her eyes still too big for her face.

She's also a Six, just like me.

 _You should be thankful,_ I reprimand myself. _There are others who are suffering much worse._

 _Be thankful._

.:*:.

CROWN PRINCE MAXIME GABRIEL DE SAUVETTERE OF FRANCE

I don't look at her.

I can feel Mother and Father gazing at me, but I don't look at her.

I refuse to look at her.

The only girl I have ever loved and will ever love - the only girl I can allow myself to be paired with - is dead.

She's dead, and nothing can change that fact.


	14. Truce

**I really have no idea why I'm posting so often lately, lol. There's the fact that school's on break for a while, and I guess I just feel** **I need to make up for all those late uploads -** **this story's like a year and a half old, but we only have 13 chapters... ;( also, these days whenever I upload a chapter at least one or two of you respond with "I'm so happy you're still writing!" and it just makes me feel super guilty, haha. So yeah. I'll be uploading.  
**

* * *

.:*:.

ARIANNA

I ask my maids about the gardens, which are supposed to be one of the most beautiful gardens on the planet. Both Coral and Esti agree that the gardens are amazing. "But I'll tell you what's more amazing," Coral says, and leans in as if she's whispering a secret. "The pool."

"The pool?" I ask, intrigued. Esti nods furiously.

"The pool was originally made because the palace maids requested one, but because it was so... awesome, even the Royals use it frequently now."

"What makes it so good?"

Esti looks appalled. "I can't tell you that! It would be like a spoiler. You should go see for yourself. And bring a bikini, too."

Because I love books, I know what it feels like to have things ruined. So, despite being incredibly curious, I don't ask further about the pool as my maids fret about, trying to find the perfect bikini for me to wear.

"Is swimwear that important?" I question, and - to my surprise - both of my maids nod.

"The Selection has officially started. You've got to remember that. There'll be cameras floating about, and they'll most definitely want to take pictures of you. So... if you want the crowd's support, you need to seem fashionable."

After a few minutes of battling over the design, they finally come to an agreement. I slip their choice of outfit on. It's light and comfortable, which is a relief.

I get a towel and sling it around my shoulders. My maids give me a matching pair of sandals, and I'm all set.

At the last moment, Esti decides she wants to come with me. She tries to persuade Coral to come too, but she shakes her head.

"You know I'm not a big fan of huge tubs of water everyone shares. All the germs... Ugh."

"Fine, then." Esti shrugs. "I'm going to wear that super sexy bikini that just came out! Bwhahaha!"

"Sure, do that," Coral says, and grins.

Esti looks shocked. "You don't want to try it on?"

"Nope. I'm going for the new dress. Did you see the patterns? Seriously, they make the dress look magical. You need to try it."

"Well, I was going to," Esti sniffs. "but I'm trying the bikini first."

"As I said, do it." Coral grins. "Have a fun time."

"Thanks for telling me about the pool," I tell her. She nods and waves us out.

As soon as the door closes behind us, Esti squeals and jumps up and down in excitement. "Oh my gosh Arianna, you're going to love this." She starts to skip in a certain direction.

"I'm sure I will," I say, and quickly run to catch up to her.

After a few minutes, we arrive at the palace gardens. Sunlight shines around us as we step out of one of the palace's many doors. A beautiful garden is in front of us - spread in all ways, it stretches around the palace and beyond. I can see birds and flowers of the rarest species, rows of bushes that form beautiful swirls and spiraling patterns. Trees create an arched path that wraps around the garden. A separate path travels to another building not far away - it's made entirely of glass, which I can see from the dazzling light it reflects.

"Come on!" Esti calls, and I tear my eyes away from the beautiful garden to follow her. I make a mental note to explore the rest of the garden one day. I love plants so much, and I'm not going to let go of the chance to see one of the most beautiful ones in the world.

When I reach the building, I'm even more amazed. The glass building is on a lake, a wide lake that takes over most of the land. The building is shaped as a giant glass sphere, like a transparent ball floating on water, and it reflects light in all ways. A single bridge, which also looks like it's made of strong glass, leads the way to the building.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Esti grins. "It gets even cooler."

We step on the bridge and walk to the building. It's a pool - I can already see some people inside. The glass sphere contains clear water, the height matched to the lake so that it seems as if the water is part of the lake. Curved sliding glass doors open for us as we approach the building, and I cautiously step inside.

There's no land. That's the first thing that enters my mind, the first thing that stops me from getting any further. A small island is in the middle of the pool, but in order for someone to get to it they need to either swim or ride one of the floats. Esti shrugs off her towel, throws it on one of the many floats, and jumps straight in - but I like to observe things first.

There's a total of four people in the huge sphere. Two, who look like maids, are just floating around, drinking something or looking at their portable screens. The third person is on the island, lying down on a sunbed with a drink in his hand. The last one is also on the island, but he's at the drink stand, having a heated conversation on his phone. The weirdest part about him is that he's not even in beach clothes, like the other three people. He's in a _suit,_ of all things.

I nervously step inside the pool. Because it's a sphere, it gets deeper in the middle. The entire pool is pretty shallow, so the water I'm currently in only barely swirls around the bottom of my feet.

Esti beckons for me to join her and her two maid friends. She's already deep in, and I have to swim quickly to catch up.

The three maids are having an excited conversation about the Selection. Esti boasts about the dress she and Coral chose for me, and the other two maids compliment her, saying that they saw the dress on social media and that the dress choice was beautiful.

"The model was also really beautiful," one maid says, grinning as she looks at me. I blush and thank her. She grins wider.

"You know Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld?"

Was she the girl with gold clothes at dinner? "Yes... I think."

"Yeah, poor little Trix here got _her_ as her assignment, out of all people."

Esti groans. "Trix, how'd ya survive? There's a rumor that the girl tried to seduce Prince Alex as soon as she met him."

The girl who I assume to be Trix grimaces. "Yeah, she was bad. But Marev... you know how shy she is, she doesn't know how to stand up to that girl..."

"Marev!" The two other maids groan in unison. "Poor Marev... did anything happen?" the other girl - Scarlett - asks.

Trix nods. "The bitch yelled at Marev for asking the color of her lowlights. Something about how there's only one color darker than dark brown?"

"Wow, I don't think she knows we've also been artistically trained."

"Yeah, she doesn't know half the colors that we do."

As they continue to gossip about the Selected, I slowly float away. It gets tiring to be around so many people at once, and anyway, I don't know much about the other members of the Selected yet. Also, it's uncomfortable to be around people who are talking about you.

Before I know it, I've come to the island. I step up the ladder and hop onto the land.

I'm on my way to the drink stand when the guy on the sunbed notices me and sits up. "Hey," he calls, pulling off his sunglasses.

"Hey," I say, squinting to see his face. It's hard to - the glass building lets in too much sunlight, and that makes the guy seem like he's glowing.

"You're one of the Selected, right? Did you come here out of curiosity?"

"Pretty much."

"Come over," he says. "I can't see your face."

"I can't, either."

"Yeah, so come over."

I do as he says, only to find myself face to face with the eldest prince.

"Welcome to the secret pool, the sacred hunk of glass in the middle of the sacred... lake... whatever." Prince Sebastian grins.

"Is he also a Royal?" I ask, referring to the person pacing around.

The prince shakes his head. "That angry little guy over there is the weird prince from France. Don't mind him. He's weird."

The French prince barks into his screen something in French and rolls the screen shut. He glares at the rolled-up screen for a second, then suddenly steps off the island.

I watch in shock as he seems to be walking on top of the water as he slowly makes his way to the edge of the pool.

"No, he's not magic," Prince Sebastian informs me. "There's a glass bridge somewhere in there. For cool videos and everything."

I nod. "Does the French prince come here often?"

"Nah, I think he came here on accident." The prince laughs. "That, or he's secretly fond of pools. I dunno." I hear a ping. Prince Sebastian glances at his screen and says, "I gotta go - Mother's calling." He waves as he, too, steps on the seemingly invisible glass bridge. "Bye. Looking forward to seeing you at dinner today."

.:*:.

PRINCESS ANNALIESA

"Hey," Sera says as I walk into her room. She's lying on her bed and staring up at the screen on the ceiling, which is showing a movie from two decades ago.

Shortly after the whole Maxime incident, we had some sort of weird reconciliation which neither side agreed to, but it happened anyway. I guess after living together for seventeen years, it gets hard to stop talking to someone - especially your best friend.

"Hey," I greet her back. "Did I interrupt you?"

"No, not at all. I wasn't really doing anything, y'know - there's so little for me to do now that Alex's Selection started and all."

"I feel the same," I agree. "I don't have any jobs to do, and it gets a bit... I don't know, boring? I wish I had some sort of assignment. Other than arranging random events for... the French prince coming here, of course."

Sera laughs. "You're probably the only one in the world who thinks that way. I mean, I get that this... emptiness is boring, but I still prefer having nothing to do to having too much to do."

I shrug. "You're probably right."

"Anyway, why'd you come?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Of course not," Sera says. She sits up. "But I have one."

"What is it?"

"Um..." My sister glances at the door, checking if anyone else is there before saying, "What's wrong with Logan?"

"Is anything wrong with Logan?"

"I know you've been busy worrying about... y'know, Maxime and everything, but... it's really hard not to notice."

"Yes, but what's wrong?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."

"...Well, I definitely don't know. Why do you think there's something wrong with Logan?"

"He... he's not his usual self. He keeps zoning out, and when he's not staring off into space, he seems to be thinking hard about something. Like, really hard. Not Logan hard. Really, really hard. And he always looks troubled about something, he's jumpy... distracted... He won't eat... Mother's really worried... But when I asked Father about it yesterday, he said it's best that we just, y'know, let him be. I think he has some sort of idea of what this is about."

"Should we really let him be?" I ask worriedly. "The last time he acted this way was when he..."

"I know," Sera says worriedly. "And I want to help him in some kinda way, but I need to know what's going on first, y'know?"

"Do you think he will tell us?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you... I think he takes you more seriously than I do."

"Maybe one of the Selected?"

"Anna, that's treason!"

"Not if they don't have a romantic relationship. It could just be platonic."

"Yeah, but that's where feelings develop..."

"You've been reading too many romance novels lately," I tell Sera. "If Logan ever develops feelings for a Selected, he won't act on it. He'll just let it pass."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

.:*:.

KELLY

I aimlessly wander the hallways, thankfully without my maids. Aurora and Nike have been pestering me for my next outfit, which will be worn for the Report - and it's still a week or two away. But because they've agreed to let me have dinner in my usual all-black outfit, I have to let them choose my next outfit - which will probably be a dress.

Urgh, dresses. They have no other purpose than to make the wearers trip and make fools of themselves. I really have no idea why they're still so popular in Illea.

As I round the corner, I bump into Prince Logan. He's in the most casual outfit I've ever seen him wear - just a normal shirt and pants. They look oddly out of place on him, though, and his miserable expression doesn't help.

"Sorry," the prince mumbles.

I can't help it. "You're weird," I tell him.

He stops in his tracks and stares at me. "Huh?"

"You're weird," I repeat. Then I realize what I just said and add, "Not in a bad way. Just... You look weird in normal clothing. And it's the first time I'm seeing you without impeccable hair."

"Oh," Prince Logan says. He looks down at his clothes, as if realizing for the first time that he's wearing what he's wearing. "Yeah... I don't like casual wear, but... I don't know why I'm even wearing this. Why am I wearing this?"

"You know, you're really different from the guy I thought you were."

"Yeah, it's just..." the prince sighs. "Things have been... different lately."

"I know. But aren't you the type of person that turns weird just because they're in a weird situation."

He stares at me for the second time. "How do you know that?"

I shrug. "I'm pretty observant."

"I can tell."

"That's because you're also pretty observant."

"You're really straightforward."

"I know."

"Of course you do," Prince Logan says. He grins. "It's nice to have someone just... be direct with me. I missed having people tell me the whole truth."

"I can tell," I say. "Can I ask why you're so weird today?"

He seems startled. "What?"

"Yeah, like that. Why are you acting like that these days?"

"Like what?"

"Like that."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, like that."

"Oh," he says. "I don't know."

"You know."

"How do you know if I know?"

"As I said, I can tell. You don't need to tell me if it's personal."

"It's not... I mean, yeah, it's personal, but..."

"Then don't tell me," I say. "You can always say no."

"I know I can."

"Then why don't you?"

"Okay, then." Prince Logan shrugs. "No."

I smile. "Thank you," I say, then start to continue walking.

"Why did you thank me?" He calls after me.

I turn around. "Because you said no instead of making up some lame excuse about things as weird as you are."

He blinks. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A month ago you would've known that I meant by that, but now that you've actually turned weird, you don't know."

"...Okay."

"No problem," I grin and turn back around.

He runs after me. "Hey - I don't even know your name." He pauses, then adds, "And you're pointing out observations about me that most people don't bother to notice."

"Kelly Titaia Corbatt. From Fas Derikko. What's yours?"

"What's my what?"

"Name."

"Don't you already know my name?"

"Wow, you're pretty vain for a prince who's supposedly really mature."

The prince smiles, then bows dramatically. "Logan Schreave, third prince of Illéa. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

.:*:.

PRINCE SEBASTIAN

"Al!" I grin as I barge into my little brother's room - without knocking. _Gasp, what an insolent prince!_

Alex doesn't seem to mind, though. If it was Logan, I'd be dead by now, but thankfully, it's Alex.

"Whatcha doin?" I ask, plopping down on his bed.

Alex shrugs.

"C'mon, I know you're doing something. Can't you even tell your own brother? Or... are you writing something... secret... like..." I gasp. _"A love letter?"_

"Shut up," Alex mumbles. He holds up a long sheet of paper. "Father told me to memorize a bunch of weird speeches. Something about how my speech at dinner yesterday was... lacking."

He's embarrassed. I can see from the way his ears redden up - it's a male trait in the Schreave family. Father has it, Logan has it. I'm the only exception - that, or I don't really get embarrassed.

It's probably the latter.

"You're normally really good at this kinda thing, bro," I say, snatching the paper from his hands. He doesn't try to get it back. "Really, what happened yesterday?"

"I don't know, I guess I just... I was nervous and..."

"Dude, you usually perform well under pressure."

"Yeah, but..."

"Oh, you were scared of the girls?"

Alex is silent.

I laugh gleefully. "So you _were_ intimidated by the Selected."

"Whatever," Alex mutters.

I look over the speeches and shake my head. "These speeches aren't meant to exist. Seriously. They're so bad. They're the ones that are lacking."

"I know, but Father wants me to memorize them, so..."

"So?"

"So I've got to, right?"

I smile. I tear the sheet of paper in half. Then I give it back to him. "You don't need to now."

"Seb! Father's going to be furious."

"No, he won't be. Tell him I did it, and he'll understand."

My little brother sighs. He looks down at the torn paper and shakes his head. "It must feel really good not to have any burden on you."

I freeze. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, like..." Alex sighs again. "You don't have any expectations on you. You can do literally anything and nobody will be disappointed."

"You really think it's like that?"

"Sure."

"Why?"

"You're not the crown prince."

Whenever he talks about the duty I practically dumped on him - whenever he has to struggle because of it, my heart breaks.

I can feel it breaking now.

"Alex... I didn't give you that title because I didn't want the burden."

"No, Seb, I understand. Now that I'm the crown prince I finally get what you've been feeling for the past twenty-one years. It's fine, really."

"Alex - "

"When did this conversation get so serious? Can't we go back to talking about terrible speeches?"

"Alex, I - "

"I don't want to talk about this right now, Seb."

"I know," I tell him. "And I don't want to talk about this, either. But we have to. Someday."

He averts his eyes. "We don't _have_ to."

"Yeah, we do." I look at my brother. "Y'know, I really didn't want to make you the crown prince. Seriously."

"You've said this same thing a hundred times already."

"Yeah, but you don't seem to get it."

He's silent.

"Anyway... you already know this, but crown princes... they basically have a bunch of duties similar to a king's, because they're basically kings in training, right? And so I had a duty to work for my people even before I became king. And at that time... I realized how irresponsible I was being. And I'm really not cut out for that type of thing, y'know... being responsible n'all. So I did the one thing I could do for my people - I gave you the title of crown prince, because I knew, Mom and Dad knew, and basically the entire country knew that you would be a far better king than I could ever dream of being." I take a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

There's a long pause, which I ruin by saying, "Shit, I'm so bad at this."

Alex manages a small laugh. "You sound like this girl."

"What?" I feign indignation. "I sound like a _girl?"_

"That wasn't what I - you sound like this girl called Siani. I talked to her at dinner... she sounds like you. You sound like her. Whatever."

"I do?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"...Are you still mad at me?"

"Seriously? We're back to talking about the one thing none of us want to talk about?"

"Alex - "

"I'm not mad at you." He looks at me. "I think you did the right thing, actually. You really aren't fit for being King."

"Is that a backhanded compliment I'm hearing?" I ask jokingly.

"No, it's the truth."

I give him a small smile. "So... Truce?"

He smiles back. "Sure."

"Al, you're supposed to say truce back!"

"Whenever I'm around you, I feel like I'm slowly becoming a kid again."

"Did my little brother just _roll his eyes_ at me? What an _insolent prince!_ I'm taking your title back..."

"Seb!"

"What?"

"Okay, you win." Alex grins at me. "Truce."

.:*:.

* * *

 **Did I ever tell you guys how much I love your reviews? I love reading through them, and I always look for some feedback so I can improve and add more things to the story that you guys want to see. :)  
**

 **So yeah, leave reviews, haha.**

 **xoxo, WP7**


	15. Confusion

**THIS STORY IS BEING PUT ON HOLD.**

I'm incredibly sorry, but at least for a few months or so, it has to be done.

I've been having problems trying to balance real life and writing, just in general, and it's turned out to be tiring for both me and everyone else.

I know this is practically a dead story, but I still do have a completed plot and I still intend to carry it out, whether or not it takes a few months to do so.

The reason why I'm putting this story on hold is because I don't think it's fair to keep anyone waiting for the next few months. So yeah, it'll take some time. I'll be stacking up some chapters and updating them one by one after I start writing again, so that I can shorten the time in between uploads. But anyway, it's on hold.

And I know this technically isn't a full chapter, and the quality... *sighs* But as of this moment, this is all I can offer you guys ;( Yeah, writer's block is horrible.

* * *

.:*:.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Father taps his foot impatiently. "So? What is your opinion?"

I gulp. "I... I'm not that sure about the Selected. I mean, they're all nice girls, I guess... and they've come so far..."

"Alex, you know that sympathy is not a needed quality for the Selection. Especially with the rebels, anyone can fake a story."

"I thought this whole thing was about love?"

Father looks irritated. "Are you saying that you've found your match?"

"N-no! Of course not."

"Then choose, Alex. This is an official program. The eliminations must be done on time, which means at dinner, which means you must choose _now._ We've already given you forty-eight hours to think about it."

"Sir, I think you should give Prince Alexander some time to choose," Father's advisor suggests.

"I agree," Marcin says. He looks at Carthon, who nods. "This shouldn't be done hastily. We need to think carefully about the eliminations."

I look at them. "What are your thoughts on this?"

"Well..." Carthon clears his throat. "We've written down a list of potential Elite... we just need your approval, of course."

I take the portable screen from him. As I scroll through the names, I recognize a familiar pattern - a pattern I was very worried about.

"What were your standards when you chose this list?"

Marcin, Carthon, and the advisor exchange glances. After a while, Marcin speaks up.

"We observed their actions during dinner yesterday, of course. And their families... we researched countless things about them. The Elite were chosen very carefully."

I look at the three men, then at Father. "They're all Twos and Threes. Most of them come from powerful families."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"The Selection shouldn't be used as a tool to strengthen the country. This is about me meeting my true love, soulmate, whatever, although there's only a slight chance of _that_ happening... But all you care about is who's gonna make you look good."

"Alex!" Now Father looks furious.

"What, Father?"

"Alex, you have no right whatsoever to - "

"I honestly don't care who you choose as the Elite, but I'm choosing who to send home," I interrupt rudely. Very out of character, but I don't mind.

"Of course," Carthon agrees. "There are a couple things to consider, however - "

"Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld. Take her out. Cassandra Vinci kept asking nosy questions about classified information. Belinda Katana Vlahakis is... I don't even know at this point. And - "

"Prince Alexander?"

"What?"

"Unfortunately, Veronica Irene Sonnenfeld comes from a powerful family that holds much power within our country. Her parents and even close relatives are active politicians. She also happens to be a supermodel and social media influencer who is much loved by millions of people worldwide, so taking her out may cause some problems. Belinda Katana Vlahakis also comes from a powerful family of famous actors. You may take out Cassandra Vinci, but we strongly advise you to keep the first two until the very end."

"No, thank you. Veronica intimidates me, and that Belinda girl is out of her mind."

"Alex, you know we trust your judgement," Father says, "and you've always had a way of seeing through people... But your advisors are right. This Selection is a public matter. You should also be considering other factors, such as - "

"Such as whether the Selected are mentally stable?"

Father raises an eyebrow.

"I swear, some of them are insane."

"They seemed fine to me."

"Father, Veronica Sonnenfeld tried to seduce me from the moment she set her eyes on me... first red flag. She also frightened this girl just because they were both wearing gold dresses... second red flag, and that girl had to _purposefully vomit_ to get out of the dining hall - "

"An actor." Father narrows his eyes. "Who was that girl? She could be a rebel - "

"Father, you should be worried about _Veronica,_ not Kaitlyn."

"Kaitlyn? Wasn't she on the list of Elite?" Father peers at the list, and shakes his head. "Remove her."

"Yes, your highness." Marcin taps on his portable screen.

"Father!"

"Yes, son?"

"You're missing the point."

"I don't believe I am."

"You know what? I'll make a deal. You choose the Elite as you wish, I don't care... strong families and whatnot... but I get to choose who to send home. I won't choose the two worst people, because for some reason you all fell in love with the worst girls in the Selection, but I choose the rest."

"Fine."

"I'm just removing anyone I don't feel a connection with, are you also fine with that?"

"Definitely. There are so many girls in the palace right now, we should be getting rid of most of them as soon as possible." Father sighs, then looks back at the screen Marcin is holding. "Since we removed Kaitlyn, we have five Elite members... Should we add another?"

"It's better to have more Elite at the start of the Selection, sir."

"Okay, then. Add..." Father exhales slowly. "Who was that other girl?"

"Novalie Castelluccio?"

"No, that other girl."

"Jacintha Fayre?"

"No, no, not that one... The Three from Gutizon."

"Vanessa Lee?"

"Yes, choose that one, she seems like a nice option. She was on the list of candidates, wasn't she?"

"Yes, sir."

"Add her."

"Yes, sir."

"Is she added?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then it's decided." Father crosses his arms and looks at me. "We've done our part of the deal, Alexander. Now give us the names."

.:*:.

LOGAN

After a particularly interesting encounter with one of the Selected, I slowly make my way up the stairs with a destination in mind - when, out of the corner of my eye, I see a glimmer of blond hair.

My head immediately turns to the direction of the hair. I catch a glimpse of a short girl with hair that goes just past her shoulders. She's wearing heels, which is unusual, but as soon as I see her, I start toward her.

Unfortunately, the palace is unnecessarily big - and unnecessarily complicated. When I reach the corner she turned, I see three different options of hallways she could've taken. When I catch sight of the familiar blond hair, she's already turning yet another corner.

I can't help myself. I ignore the floating cameras and run as fast as I can. I can hear her heels clicking on the marble floors. I'm getting closer.

I turn the corner.

She's standing there, her back to me, observing a painting on the wall. Her hair is not the color I remember - it's lighter, a color similar to the gold patterns on the walls. But it's possible that after all these years, her hair would've changed - and I might have not noticed, in the frenzy of dinner.

She would've changed.

I can practically hear my own heart beat as I take a step forward.

She turns around, and my heart leaps... and falls.

It's not her.

At first, the green eyes - paired with gold eyeshadow - make me think it's her. But I look closer and I can see how she's missing the yellow flecks in her eyes, the scatter of freckles on her nose, and the small mole by her right eye. This girl isn't her.

I suddenly feel the ache in my legs, the one that comes from running around so much after so many years of hardly any exercising. I've run all the way here - for nothing.

It's not her. It's not her. It's not her.

The girl in front of me offers me a small smile. "Hello. Any reason why you stopped by?" She has a slight British accent.

"I, uh - I apologize. I thought you were someone else."

"It's fine." The girl grins. "Wow, you're pretty out of shape for an Illéan prince. You're panting really hard, you know."

"An Illéan prince? Why, are Illéan princes supposed to be in shape?"

"That's the stereotype, at least. And from what I can tell, Royals like to live up to stereotypes."

I think for a while. "I guess they do," I agree. "It's not really our choice, though."

"Of course it's not!" She scoffs. "Nothing any of us do is done by our choice."

"Not exactly - "

"I, for one, never chose to enter this Selection. I mean, I guess I technically did, but if I had anything better to do, I never would've entered in the first place."

"Wow. That's very..." I search for the right word, "jaundiced of you to say."

The girl laughs. "You have an interesting character."

"Everyone does."

She laughs again. "Okay."

Then she turns back around and resumes contemplating the painting. "Are you gonna keep standing there, or what?"

"Sorry. I'll go," I say, and start back towards where I came from.

A ping sounds from the girl's pocket, and she pulls out her screen. As I walk past, I catch a glimpse of the page. It's showing her social media profile, with thousands of unread notifications popping up on the side.

The most shocking part of it all is her follower count.

She has over three million followers.

Three million.

I shake my head. Things are getting more confusing than ever.


End file.
